Giving In
by Mystic Angel 97
Summary: This story picks up after the season 2 finale.  Now that Damon has survived the deadly werewolf bite, he and Elena are forced to deal with the aftermath of their kiss and Stefan's absence.  My first shot at fanfic.  Looking forward to your reviews! AU
1. Chapter 1

**This story takes place after the season 2 finale of The Vampire Diaries. **

_"You have reached Stefan's phone. Leave a message and I'll get back to you."_

Mumbling to himself, Damon tossed his cell phone onto his bed. He had already left Stefan several messages. But apparently his dear brother was too busy to be bothered.

What had Stefan been thinking, agreeing to run off with Klaus? Better yet, what had he been thinking leaving her behind? Did he not understand that his being gone was tearing her apart?

_Of course he knows, you idiot. But he did it for you. To save you. _

That annoying inner voice wouldn't shut up. He'd managed to keep the damn thing under wraps until he'd met her. Now every time he was around her or thinking about her, the stupid thing popped back into his mind. He hated it.

Hearing Stefan's bedroom door open, Damon stared hard at his own closed door, his heart clenching in his chest. Elena.

_You're the reason she cried herself to sleep last night. Not only has she lost her boyfriend because of you, you had to go and get all honest about your feelings with her. _

"Give me a break," Damon said irritably, "I thought I was _dying_. She needed to know how I feel."

_Yeah right. _You_ were the one who needed her to know. Even though you knew it would tear her up inside you were the one who needed to say the words. _She_ would have been just fine never having heard them. _

"Damon?" Elena's voice was muffled by the thick wooden door. "Are you awake?"

A heartbeat passed as Damon considered ignoring her. His mind told him that that would be the best thing to do, but his heart had him racing to the door and yanking it open.

"Elena." His ice blue eyes met her warm, chocolate gaze. He felt that familiar kick in his gut as he looked into those dark mesmerizing eyes that always captivated him, centering him in a way that nothing and no one else ever could. Not even Katherine. "Good morning."

"Have you heard from Stefan?" Although her voice was steady, the echo of her tears she'd cried most of the night weighed heavily in the air between them.

"No." Turning away from her, he sauntered back to his desk where his glass of scotch awaited. He picked it up with a shaking hand and tossed back the liquid fire. "I left him numerous messages, which he has ignored."

Her perfectly arched, dark brows furrowing in concern, Elena asked, "Should you be drinking? I mean, shouldn't you give yourself more time to recover from the wolf bite?"

Filling the glass with more bourbon, he glanced over his shoulder. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine." He hated to admit it, but the look of concern on her face comforted him.

Elena was beside him in exactly twelve light footsteps. He counted each one. Her hand reached out to grasp his around the glass. "Then why is your hand shaking?"

As soon as he felt the warmth of her skin against his, a zip of awareness raced through Damon. Aching to pull her against him, to feel the softness of those luscious lips against his once more, Damon's gaze fell on her lips. All he had to do was lean down and kiss them.

_Go ahead. She's not going through enough emotional turmoil already. _

Lifting his eyes to meet hers, Damon saw the worry and fatigue in her eyes. The voice was right. She was suffering enough already. He didn't need to make things worse.

_Too late for that._

"I'm just a little weak. It will pass." His eyes stared into hers, willing her to make the next move.

The seconds ticked by as they simply stared at one another. He watched as a storm of emotions swirled within the deep depths of Elena's brown eyes as she tried to decide how to handle the situation that they had created.

No. _He_ had created this situation. He never should have professed his love for her. Never should have let the words leave his lips. It had happened once before, but he'd been able to erase it from her memory.

Not this time. This time they were being forced to face it. Even though he'd known he'd loved Elena from pretty much the first second he'd laid eyes on her, Damon had never once thought that she might actually feel the same way about him. She'd made it clear that it was Stefan that she loved. Stefan that she wanted. Stefan that she would choose. Always.

And now Stefan was gone. And Elena had kissed him. Granted, they both had thought he was dying at the time, but it had happened. He'd never thought it would. He didn't deserve someone like her. He wasn't good enough for someone like her.

"_I like you just the way you are." _ Elena's heartfelt words echoed in his mind, his heart.

Seeing a flash of regret in her eyes as she gazed at her hand covering his, Damon decided to give her a way out. "Of course, a little bit of fresh blood would help me out greatly," he said. To seal the deal he added his signature lopsided smile as he waggled his dark eyebrows suggestively.

"You know that is _not_ going to happen, Damon." Elena snatched her hand away and turned to leave the room. "I'm going home. I have to check on Jeremy."

Closing his eyes at the sound of his bedroom door clicking closed behind her, Damon's hand tightened around the glass of bourbon, making it explode. Opening his eyes, he gazed down at the mixture of blood, bourbon and glass that now covered his hand, as well as the floor.

That was exactly how he felt on the inside.

Putting the car into park, Elena let her head fall back against the headrest as she tried to gather the strength to go inside the house. She was thoroughly and utterly exhausted. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally.

Damon had almost died. Stefan had made some pact with Klaus to save him. And now Stefan was gone. He'd left her behind. He'd chosen Damon over her. The brother he'd claimed to hate. The brother he'd promised to protect her from.

Damon had almost died.

"Oh God," Elena whispered.

So many times she'd wished Damon gone, and then it had almost happened. And what had she done when she'd found out that Damon was dying from a werewolf bite? She'd rushed to his bedside to comfort him.

She told herself it was because she believed that no one deserved to die alone. But deep down in the hidden recess of her heart, she knew there was more to it than that. There always had been. She had always felt drawn to Damon. Even though she was in love with Stefan, she had some kind of connection with his brother. And she hated it.

Damon had almost died.

The thought of her world without him in it made it almost impossible for Elena to breathe. Tears pooled in her eyes as she tried to imagine what could have happened if Katherine hadn't shown up with the cure. If Stefan hadn't sacrificed himself to Klaus.

A knock on the window beside made her jump. She turned to find scowling Jeremy staring at her.

"Elena, are you okay?"

Nodding, Elena quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and opened the car door. Scooping her into his arms, Jeremy hugged her tightly.

"Jeremy, I'm okay." Elena pulled back to smile at her brother. "I'm just really tired."

"Well come inside then." Holding her protectively in the crook of his arm, Jeremy steered her into the house. "You can tell Bonnie and me what happened last night."

"Bonnie's here?"

A faint blush bloomed up Jeremy's neck. "Yeah. She didn't want me to be alone last night, so she stayed with me."

Thankful that her best friend had thought to look out for her younger brother, Elena smiled. "Good."

"Elena!" Bonnie rushed to meet them at the door. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Wait, Bonnie." Jeremy scolded. "Let her sit down first."

"Right. I'll go get you some tea."

As Bonnie disappeared into the kitchen, Elena settled into the plush couch. She'd just gotten comfortable when Bonnie reappeared with a cup of steaming tea. Handing it to Elena, she looked at her warily. "Damon?"

"He's alive." Elena cautiously sipped her tea.

Jeremy's eyes widened. "How?"

So Elena told them all about how Katherine had showed up at the last second with a vial of Klaus's blood to cure Damon. Then she told them that Stefan was gone. What she didn't tell them about was the very personal, heartfelt conversation she and Damon had shared.

"Wait. Stefan agreed to go off gallivanting with Klaus to save Damon?" Jeremy shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe he would leave you like that! And for who? _Damon?_"

While she agreed with Jeremy, Elena found herself defending Damon. Again. "He is his brother, Jeremy. I would do the same thing for you."

"That's completely different, and you know it!"

During their conversation, Bonnie remained unusually quiet. Elena had been prepared for Bonnie to react the way Jeremy was doing. Instead, she merely watched Elena intently.

"I can't believe this." Running a hand through his hair, Jeremy laughed nervously. "When is Stefan coming back?"

Well wasn't that the question of the day? Elena's throat tightened. "I don't know Jeremy."

"Well, what did he say?"

"I haven't spoken with him since he told me about Damon and the werewolf bite."

"What?"

"Look. I'm exhausted. I'm going to go lie down." Standing up, Elena forced a smile. "I'll be in my room."

As she made her way up the stairs, Elena tried to ignore the urgent whispering behind her in the family room. She went into her room, snatched her diary from its hiding place, and settled into her bed.

_Dear Diary,_

_I wish I had had you with me last night. So much has happened since the last time we spoke. Everything is such a mess that I don't even know where to begin. Stefan is gone. Apparently he made some kind of a deal with Klaus to save Damon's life. He didn't even say goodbye. He just left, and I haven't heard anything from him. I had to find out about him leaving from Katherine of all people! I hope he's okay._

_So now I'm alone. Well, not completely alone. Damon is still here…Damon…oh Diary, he almost died! As in gone forever! I can't breathe thinking about him not being in my life. It hurts so. And then remembering what it was like, watching him fade away in that bed… And then he told me that he loves me! And it was strange because when he said them, the words felt so familiar, so comforting, like he'd said them before. And then, oh please help me Diary, but we kissed! I know! It shouldn't have happened! But it did. And now he's still alive. And Stefan is gone. And I don't know what to do…_

A soft knock on her door had Elena shoving her diary under her pillow. With a knowing smile on her face, Bonnie walked into the room.

"Elena, are you really okay?" Bonnie looked at her sadly.

"I'm fine." Forcing a smile, Elena silently said _No I'm not fine! My boyfriend is gone and I kissed his brother! Would you be okay?_

Reaching out to take Elena's hand in hers, Bonnie's eyes searched Elena's. "I know you, Elena. You're not okay. And it's perfectly understandable that you would be upset about Stefan choosing Damon over you."

Inhaling sharply, Elena stared at her best friend as the painful truth of Bonnie's words washed over her.


	2. Chapter 2

_You shouldn't be here. Why can't you just leave the poor girl alone? _

Silently cursing, Damon returned his gaze to the bedroom window. Elena was in that very room, sleeping. Finally. It had taken her a while to settle down enough to fall asleep. She'd had another crying jag before eventually drifting off into a fitful sleep.

Damon knew all of this because he'd been camped outside her house for the past couple of hours. Thanks to his exceptional vamp hearing, he'd even listened to her conversation with Bonnie.

Bonnie. That little witch still didn't care for him very much. But at least she hadn't gone one of her "Damon is evil" rants this time. Instead, it had sounded like she was more pissed at Saint Stefan for leaving Elena.

Of course, Bonnie didn't really like or trust either of Salvatore brothers, truth be told. She didn't trust any vampire. So, in a way, it made sense for her to jump on the "rag Stefan" bandwagon.

While he understood where Bonnie was coming from, it still irked his nerves that she was too stubborn to see that everything that the Salvatore brothers did shared the same common denominator. Keep Elena Safe. At the end of the day, that was their one and only goal.

So why would Stefan choose to save Damon over Elena? That's what Damon didn't understand. Stefan claimed she was the love of his life. Well, existence or whatever you want to call it now. So why in the world would he risk his relationship with her for Damon?

Just then the phone in his pocket buzzed, catching him by surprise. Could it be?

"Really Stefan? A freaking text message?" He clicked a button to open the message. It was short and simple.

Take care of Elena.

"My brother the writer," Damon muttered, staring at the screen in confusion. There were so many different ways to take that one little line of text. Did Stefan mean that he wasn't coming back? Or did he mean for Damon to watch over Elena until he did come back?

And what did he mean by 'take care?' Was Damon supposed to be a babysitter? Or was Stefan giving him permission to pursue Elena now that he was gone?

"Not that I need permission," Damon muttered as he punched the call button and waited.

_"You have reached Stefan's phone. Leave a message and I'll get back to you."_

"Damn it Stefan."

A muffled cry and the sound of something hitting the wall in the upstairs bedroom snapped Damon into action.

Using vamp speed he was inside and up the stairs in the time it took to take a single breath. When he stopped outside of Elena's door, he could hear muffled crying. Again.

Steeling himself against her tears, Damon opened the door and waltzed inside. Elena was huddled on her bed, hugging a pillow, rocking back and forth. Her cell phone lay in pieces on the floor across the room.

"I take it you got a message from my brother."

Her head snapped up and she glared at him. "Go away Damon."

Ignoring her request, he sat down on the edge of her bed. "I got one too, you know."

She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "You did? What did it say?" 

"Take care of Elena."

She rolled her eyes and huffed. Although she was trying to cover it up with anger, Damon could see the pain in her eyes. "What am I? A damn puppy or something? So easy to pass off to someone else?" She vaulted from the bed and began to pace angrily on the other side of the bed.

The fact that Elena had chosen to put some distance between them didn't surprise Damon. He was expecting it. She was hurt and angry, which made her vulnerable. And he made her nervous.

"This is all your fault!" She yelled. "Why did you have to go and get bitten by a damn werewolf?"

This outburst didn't surprise him either. Whenever she was upset Elena found a way to blame Damon. And unfortunately for him, he was usually to blame to some extent. But that didn't mean that it hurt any less.

"Yes, Elena," he said dryly, "I purposely got bit by a werewolf and almost died just so Saint Stefan would have to rescue me and, consequently, leave you." He stood up stiffly and turned away from her. "Congratulations. You figured out my diabolical plan."

"Damon, I'm sorry. Please don't go." She crossed the room to place her hand on his shoulder. "I didn't mean that. Of course this isn't your fault."

Turning to face her, he sneered, "Isn't it? After all, _I_ was the one dying. _I_ was the one Stefan had to save. That's the truth."

Swallowing, she nodded. "True. But you didn't make him leave."

"Are you sure about that?" He couldn't help but lash out. Seeing her so distraught over his brother made him angry. "Maybe Klaus and I got together and invented this whole scheme just to get Stefan out of town so I could have you all to myself."

Shaking her head vehemently, Elena said, "No. You wouldn't do that."

Damon laughed. "Well hello there. I don't think we've met. I'm Damon Salvatore." 

"Stop it, Damon. I know you wouldn't willingly cause me the pain of the ritual, losing Jenna and now Stefan." She took a shaky breath. "And you especially wouldn't have knowingly caused me the heartache I felt when I thought you were dying."

His heart lurched in his chest. He pictured her lying in bed with him, taking care of him as he slowly faded away. The grief in her eyes...it was true. Never in a million years would he willingly put her through this kind of torture.

_ Aww. How sweet. Why don't you tell her that then? Then you guys can just live happily ever after now that your brother – yeah, remember him? The one who saved your sorry life?—is out of the way. _

Gritting his teeth, Damon shook his head. "You would have been better off if I had died. People die around me, remember?"

Elena cringed as Damon threw her own words back in her face. She had known they would hurt him when she'd said them, but she'd been scared and angry. So she had lashed out at him.

Kind of like now, when she'd just blamed him for Stefan leaving.

The fact that Damon had remembered her words, carried around the heavy burden of them for all of this time, surprised her. He was Damon Salvatore. Ruthless. Immoral. Heartless.

And yet here he was, staring at her with those challenging blue eyes of his, trying to make her angry so she would force him to leave. Because that was what he did when he was feeling…well, just feeling.

_"I love you. You should know that."_

His words from the night before resonated in her mind. She knew he never would have said them out loud if he hadn't thought he was dying. And she had never thought that she wanted to hear them out loud until she'd heard those magnificent lips of his whisper them to her.

And because he'd given her that honest, unwanted gift, she owed it to him now to do the same. Even though he didn't want to hear it, he needed to know that she understood the truth behind his actions.

"People do die around you, Damon." Though it was brief, she saw the hurt flash in those immense baby blues. "But usually because they are a threat to someone you care about. Namely me."

Damon snorted. Scowling, he said, "I'm a cold, heartless killer. I use people for food, Elena. I snap their necks and rip out their hearts simply because I can."

Shaking her head, Elena said, "Not anymore." When he started to make another snappy comeback, she held up a hand to stop him. "The old Damon Salvatore killed for fun. But the Damon Salvatore _I_ know only kills when someone he cares about is in danger."

"Have we met? Cause you must have me confused with another Damon Salvatore. I don't care about anyone but myself. I'm selfish that way." He smirked.

Even though she knew she was treading in dangerous waters, Elena decided to chance the swim anyway. Tentatively, she placed a hand on his arm. He stiffened.

"You care about me, Damon. You told me so last night."

Damon's jaw clenched. His eyes narrowed as they met hers. "And you, as you have repeatedly reminded me, are in love with my brother."

"Hey Elena…" Jeremy appeared in the doorway. "Oh, sorry."

Recoiling from Damon and turning her back on him, Elena smiled at her brother. "What's up, Jer?"

"Um, never mind." Jeremy glanced at Damon, then at Elena. "It wasn't important. We can talk about it later."

"You can talk about it now." Shouldering his way past Elena and Jeremy, Damon stalked out of the room. "I have someplace to be."

"Damon, wait!" Elena wasn't sure why she stopped him. The moment had passed. She just knew that the thought of him leaving made her anxious.

He stopped and turned to stare at her with those deep aqua eyes. "What, Elena?"

Seconds ticked by as they simply looked at one another. Everything that they wanted to say, but didn't have to courage to admit hung heavily in the air around them.

"Later." With a whoosh, Damon disappeared.

Only when he'd gone, did Elena realize that she'd been holding her breath. And yet, even as her breathing resumed, the burning in her chest didn't go away.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" Jeremy asked. "What did I just walk in on?"

"Nothing."

As Elena turned to walk away, to hide the turmoil she was feeling, Jeremy grabbed her by the arm.

"It didn't look like nothing to me. Elena, I don't want you hanging around Damon now that Stefan's not here to keep him in line."

Laughter bubbled inside of Elena at the absurdity of her brother's words. Did he really think anyone could make Damon behave? Did he honestly think that Stefan had any control whatsoever over his brother? If that were true then Damon would have been gone as soon as he'd arrived in Mystic Falls.

"I'm serious, Elena. He's dangerous. You know that. Everyone knows that."

She shook her head and looked at Jeremy. "In case you haven't noticed, nobody can keep Damon in line. Not even Stefan. Damon does what he wants."

"That's exactly why you should stay away from him. At least until Stefan gets back."

Unable to deny that Jeremy's words were very much true, Elena took the easy way out. Cocking her head innocently to the side, she asked, "What is it you needed to talk to me about?"

It was easier for Elena to change the subject than to address the real problem they were all facing.

What if Stefan never came back?


	3. Chapter 3

"Ready for another?" A pretty brunette smiled across the bar at Damon. She was the latest bartender at Mystic Grill.

"Sure, beautiful." He winked as he slid his empty glass across the bar.

"Need anything else with that?" This time her smile was full of suggestion and accompanied with a twinkle in her eye that Damon knew very well.

Biding time by sipping his whiskey, he watched her over the rim of his glass as he contemplated his options. Crossing her arms to help show off her assets, the bartender leaned onto the bar. A lock of her long brown hair fell across her face.

With a clunk, Damon set his glass down. Expertly arching his brow and pasting his best smoldering smirk on his face, he reached over and brushed the lack of hair from her face.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" He whispered.

"Darcy." Her sea green eyes sparkled with excitement.

It would be so easy. He could talk her into taking a break and meeting him out back. After a little kissing, maybe even a little sex, he'd sink his fangs into her neck and drink until she was just about to lose consciousness. Then he'd wipe her mind of the whole encounter. It was that easy.

"When's your next break, Darcy?" He gently cupped her chin in his hand, caressing her lower lip with his thumb.

"Same old Damon I see." Alaric plopped onto the stool beside Damon. "Do yourself a favor, honey. Stay away from this one." He shot a glance at Damon. "Where's Elena?"

Darcy frowned and walked away. Her stiff body language told Damon he'd lost his shot with her. She obviously assumed that Elena was his girlfriend.

Rolling his eyes, Damon said. "Oh, Ric. How nice of you to come here to check on me."

"Jeremy told me what happened. Lucky for you Katherine showed up when she did."

"Yep." Damon downed the remaining whiskey in his glass. "For once her timing was impeccable."

Nodding, Alaric met his gaze. "Where's Elena?"

"I'm not a babysitter, Ric. And Elena is a big girl." Damon started to slide off of the stool, but Alaric's hand gripped him by the arm. Brows furrowed, Damon hissed. "Feel like losing an arm tonight?"

"Jeremy came to me worried about Elena. He thinks you're taking advantage of his sister. So he asked me to talk to you about whatever it is going on between the two of you. And I have to admit that I'm not too happy about you moving in on Elena myself."

Snatching his arm from Alaric's grasp, Damon glared at him. "First of all, I don't give a rat's ass if you like anything I do or don't do because I don't have to answer to you. Second, whatever may or may not be going on between Elena and me is none of your damn business." He leaned over until their noses were practically touching. "So. Butt. The. Hell. Out."

"Look, Jeremy is worried about his sister." Alaric held Damon's gaze. "Damon, he's lost so many people he cares about. And he just lost Jenna. Elena is the only family he has left. You can't blame him for being a little overprotective."

Damon had to admit, Alaric had a point. Jeremy had suffered his fair share of losses lately, especially in the family department. He'd lost his parents, his uncle, and now his aunt. And then there had been the two girlfriends – Vicki and Anna. No wonder the poor kid was going into protective brother mode.

"Well maybe Jeremy was wrong about you two after all." Alaric said, gazing around Damon as he straightened.

The sound of familiar laughter filled the air. Damon turned around.

_Well, well, well. Look at that. _

Elena had just entered the Grill. On Matt's arm. And she was laughing. And leaning into Matt's side. As they walked to a table, Matt took Elena by the hand and twirled her around. Then he held out the chair for her to sit.

"Stefan better be careful. If he's gone too long, he just might end up losing Elena." Alaric said.

_Now _that_ is someone Elena deserves. He's a good guy. And with Stefan gone, he's got a good chance of winning her back. Let him. She deserves to be happy._

But Damon knew deep down that Elena could never be happy with Matt. That's why they weren't together any more. He was as boring as lukewarm dishwater.

_Boring. Bah. Try loyal. Trustworthy. Gallant. Everything you're not. _

Jaw clenched, Damon sneered at Alaric. "You're absolutely right, Ric. Stefan just might lose Elena if he doesn't come back soon." Although it wouldn't be to that loser Matt.

For the first time in days Elena was genuinely happy. It felt good to laugh. She was glad that Matt had stopped by and talked her into coming out. He'd been right; sitting at home a brooding over Stefan leaving wasn't doing her any good.

"Thank you, Matt." She smiled at him across the table.

"For what?"

"For making me come out with you." She pushed her half empty plate away from her. "You always seem to know what I need better than I do."

Matt smiled. Then his gaze turned cautious as he looked at something over her shoulder. "You really think that?"

Laughing, Elena said, "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't. Why?"

"Because I don't think you're going to like what I'm about to say." His gaze darted behind her once again.

There was only one person who could create the level of apprehension Elena recognized in Matt's expression right now. Sighing, she turned to look behind her. Damon was leaning against the bar, a glass of whiskey in his hand. Giving her a lopsided grin, he waggled his fingers at her.

"He's been watching us since we walked in earlier." Matt said. "Elena, I don't like the way he looks at you."

"Matt." Elena squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Damon won't hurt me. Trust me. In his own way, he cares about me. And Stefan asked him to keep an eye on me. That's why he watching us so closely."

His eyes narrowed and he pulled away from her, sitting back in his chair. "So that's it? Stefan's gone so now you're going to be with him?"

"Elena, Matt." Damon appeared beside their table. His mischievous eyes met Elena's. "It's good to see you having fun. You deserve it. Matt, take care of her."

"O-okay." Matt glanced at Elena with wide eyes.

"Have a nice night." And with that Damon sauntered out of Mystic Grill, leaving a stunned Matt and Elena staring after him.

"Well, that was…unexpected." Matt smiled. "At least now we can relax."

Unable to believe her eyes, Elena stared at the door. Had Damon really just walked out without causing a scene? Without getting in one of his snide comments to Matt? He'd never like Matt. And now he was telling him to _take care of her_?

The fact that he'd used the exact phrase Stefan had after leaving her behind stung. And it reminded her that Stefan had just passed her off to Damon like she was a toy or a possession or something. Not a person he truly loved.

And now Damon was doing the same thing with Matt? He was just going to sit by and watch her rekindle her relationship with Matt? What the hell? Was it so easy for people to pawn her off to others when they supposedly loved her?

Frowning, Matt asked. "Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah." As one of her favorite songs began to play, she held her hand out to him. "Dance with me?"

She was not going to let Damon ruin her night. He'd been right about one thing; she deserved to have some fun. And damn it, she was going to have some! Before hitting the dance floor, Elena decided to stop by the bar and ordered a couple of shots of tequila.

"Whoa." Matt laughed as she downed two shots and nodded for two more. "Elena, slow down."

"You're Elena?" The bartender asked.

Because it was never a good sign that someone who'd just started working here knew who she was, Elena immediately went on alert. It usually meant trouble. "Yes. How do you know my name?" 

"I was serving your friend earlier." The girl's eyes darted to Matt. "You know, the sexy, dark haired, blue eyed bad boy?"

"Oh. Did he try to pick you up?" Smirking, Elena downed the fourth and final shot. Of course, she already knew the answer to her question before the bartender could answer. Damon always hit on every pretty woman he encountered. He was, after all, a predator. And beautiful women were his favorite prey.

"Yep. But we were interrupted by some guy asking about you. I think his name was Ric." She shook her head. "And he didn't seem too happy about you and your friend being together."

"Damon and I are not together. And I'm glad you were interrupted." Elena turned to leave, but glanced back over her shoulder. "Consider yourself lucky. Damon's an ass. You can do so much better."

As she passed a chuckling Matt, Elena grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the tiny dance floor. While they danced she tried to ignore the little stab of satisfaction she felt finding out that Damon had struck out with the pretty bartender. Because she was not going to waste her time thinking about either one of the Salvatore brothers tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

Listening to the calm, soothing sound of her breathing, Damon sat in the shadows of Elena's bedroom. Although he knew he shouldn't be here, invading her privacy, he couldn't help himself. He loved watching her sleep. His angel.

_She's not yours. She's Stefan's. He's the one who deserves her, not you.._

Sighing softly, Elena rolled over in her sleep. And then he heard one of the most beautiful sounds he'd ever heard. "Damon."

At first, he thought he'd been discovered. And then he realized she was whispering his name in the midst of a dream. He found himself drawn to her bedside. And as he gazed down at her sleeping face, he heard her whisper his name again. And then those perfect soft lips curved into a smile.

Suddenly he heard the sound of a twig snapping outside, followed by a softly muttered curse. In a flash, he was perched in the tree outside of Elena's window. His eyes scanned the ground below for any sign of the intruder as his vampire senses went into hyper alert.

"I still don't see why we're here in the middle of the night," Tyler muttered as he stepped into Damon's view.

The need to attack and kill the werewolf hummed in Damon's veins. But he knew he couldn't. Even though Damon hated him, Tyler was loyal to Elena. Tyler would go out of his way to keep her safe. And as much as it irritated him to allow the werewolf to live, Damon knew that the more people Elena had looking out for her the better.

"I told you." Caroline said bitterly, stepping up beside Tyler. "Matt asked us to come. He must really be worried for him to call me."

Even though he found her pathetic and sometimes ditzy, Damon had to admit that Caroline had proven to be a formidable vampire. He'd been sure that when Katherine had turned her, she would be more of a liability than anything. But Caroline's loyalty to Elena ran deep as well.

"Do you really think Damon could hurt Elena?" Tyler asked as he and Caroline stopped directly beneath the branch Damon was crouched on.

"Yes, he could."

"You really think so?" The surprise in his voice made Damon want to chuckle. "Because sometimes I see him looking at her and his face changes…it's like he's almost human or something."

"And that is exactly why he could hurt her, Tyler." Caroline sighed.

For a ditzy blond, Caroline's insights were sometimes so spot-on that Damon couldn't believe he was hearing her correctly.

"Whatever." Tyler glanced around. "I don't see anything unusual. Do you?"

"No. I guess we can go."

Damon silently watched them walk off together. First Jeremy was sending Alaric to question him about Elena. Now Matt was sending Caroline and Tyler to check up on Elena.

_ They're all right to be worried and you know it. Damon, you should just leave. Go find your brother and join in on the fun. Elena would be better off without you._

Rolling his shoulders, Damon silently cursed the voice in his head. As much as he wanted to run off and find Stefan, leaving Elena behind was not an option. And he damn sure couldn't take her with him. He wouldn't risk her life that way.

The next morning Elena woke up with a pounding headache. As she went into the bathroom she shared with Jeremy to brush her teeth, she recalled the night before. Matt had talked her into going out with him. And Damon had been there. And he'd pretty much given them his blessing and left them alone.

What the hell had been up with that? And then Elena had been so bothered by it that she'd started downing tequila shots. What was up with _that_?

Because she knew that Damon was never nonchalant when it came to her. So what was going on? What was he up to?

"I'm going to find out," Elena muttered to her reflection.

As she drove to the Salvatore house, she thought about how sweet Matt had been when he'd brought her home. He'd helped her into the house and tucked her into bed. She would have to be careful with him. The hopefulness she'd seen in his eyes all night had haunted her dreams. Elena knew that Matt was hoping that he and Elena would get back together now that Stefan was gone.

Stefan. When his handsome face flashed in her mind, Elena found herself getting angry. Apparently, she'd passed out of the hurt stage. Now she was just mad that he'd left her without saying goodbye.

And his text had not been a goodbye either. _Take care of Damon._ No goodbye. No I love you. First, he left with Klaus to save Damon and then he told _her_ to take care of _Damon_? Clearly Stefan cared more for his brother than he did about her.

But then Damon had said that Stefan had texted him the same thing about her. That meant he cared about what happened to her, right? Or maybe he just knew that by telling him to protect Elena, Damon wouldn't go after him.

But shouldn't he choose his brother's well being over her? She knew she would do the same thing if the situation were reversed. She would do whatever she could to keep Jeremy safe. Even let go of Stefan.

But she loved Jeremy. Stefan had claimed he'd hated Damon for over one hundred years. Had that been a lie? Did she really know Stefan at all?

Elena walked up to the house and through the front door like it was her own. Technically it was, considering the deed was still in her name.

"Well, well." Damon sauntered down the stairs with a smile on his face, and that sexy, devious gleam in his eyes. His jet black wet hair was curling slightly at the base of his neck, indicating that he'd recently showered. "Aren't you out and about early. I thought you might be sleeping it off this morning."

Scowling, Elena crossed her arms over her chest. Damon had left The Grill before she'd started drinking. "How do you know that I would need to sleep anything off?"

Chuckling quietly, Damon poured a shot of tequila in a glass. "Dear Elena, you of all people should know that I know about everything that goes on around here. A little hair of the dog that bit you?" He waved the glass in front of her. "It'll help with that throbbing you've got going on in your head."

She snatched the glass and gulped it. Although she hated to admit that he was right; her headache did start to ease off after a minute.

"What the hell was that last night, Damon?" Elena demanded.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be a little more specific." Damon winked.

A sound on the stairs had Elena looking up. Darcy the bartender came down the steps, her hair wet as well. A bright red bite mark glared at Elena from her slim neck.

"Morning, Elena." At least Darcy had the decency to blush. "I guess I'll be seeing you around?" She wrapped a lavender silk scarf around her neck.

"Later, Darce." Damon winked at her. "It was fun."

"Call me?"

"We'll see."

Elena held Damon's gaze as Darcy let herself out of the house. A few minutes passed silently as Elena tried to rein her emotions in. What the hell was Damon doing? Was this payback for her going out with Matt? Of course it was.

"Very mature, Damon."

Frowning, he said, "I'm not following."

"This is obviously payback for me going out with Matt last night."

Laughing, Damon shook his head. "Elena, if you want to cheat on my brother that is completely up to you. You're confusing me with someone who cares." Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "Besides, I was hungry and bored. And Darcy was more than willing."

"I'm sure she was," Elena muttered.

"Thanks for that, by the way."

"For what?"

"For warning her away from me." He smiled. "She practically jumped straight into my bed after that."

Anger and jealousy swirled inside Elena. How dare he throw the fact that he'd had another woman in his bed in her face! And after what they'd shared just two nights ago! Fine. Two could play this game.

"I'm sure she was just as eager as Matt was to jump into my bed."

Amusement sparkled in his eyes as he laughed. "You and I both know that good old Matty boy took you home, tucked you into bed, and went home."

"How can you be so sure that he didn't join me in bed before he left?" She challenged. "I was definitely drunk enough to do something reckless."

Rolling his eyes toward he ceiling, he said, "I just know, Elena."

"How?"

Defiance flashed in his eyes. "I just do. Matt tucked you into bed, you fell asleep almost immediately, and he went home."

And then she remembered. She'd been dreaming of kissing Damon. She thought she'd seen him, hovering above her in the dark, watching her with those paralyzing blue eyes of his. And then he'd disappeared. She'd thought it had been a part of her dream. Had it? Or had he really been in her room?


	5. Chapter 5

She knew. Damon saw the realization flash in her warm, brown eyes as Elena stared back at him. She had seen him in her bedroom.

_Way to go. Now you can't go back. _

Cursing the voice to go away in his mind, Damon started to walk past Elena. He had to get away from her. It was suffocating being alone with her, especially here. It was one thing for him to see her in every room, every time he turned around, but for her to actually be here, with him, alone…it was too much. He had to get out.

She reached out and grasped his arm. "Damon, wait."

Closing his eyes, he waited as the warmth from her touch ran up his arm and straight into his heart. He knew he should pull away, continue on his way out the door, but he couldn't. He was rooted to the floor by her touch.

Raising his sparkling blue eyes to meet hers, Damon longed to expose the elephant that was taking up so much space in the room whenever they were together. The longer they ignored it, the bigger it grew. One of them needed to make a move soon. Before they both went crazy from the strain of ignoring that there was something going on between them.

Because as much as they wanted to forget that it had ever happened, it had. Damon had told her he loved her. And Elena had kissed him.

_It was just a sympathy kiss, you idiot. She only kissed you because you were dying. And you had just professed your love for her. Of course she kissed you. But it doesn't mean she wants you now. _

"Elena…"

Shaking her head, Elena's hand fell from his arm. Her eyes widened in fear. "No, Damon. Don't."

But he couldn't stop himself. He had to prove to that stupid voice inside his head wrong. Elena did feel something for him. He knew she did. She might not want to admit it, but it was there. And he was going to prove it right now.

And then he was reaching out to her, pulling her against him as his mouth took possession of hers.

He felt her gasp against his mouth as their lips met and a surge of lust erupted between them. His lips worked against hers, urging them apart. And when they parted, he thought he would weep with joy. She tasted faintly of tequila, mint and pure sunshine.

Her arms came up around his neck as her fingers raked through his hair. He was suddenly thankful that he'd put off cutting it. As their tongues met, her moan vibrated through him all the way to his toes. His hand fisted in her long silky hair, holding her in place as he explored her mouth, staking his own claim to her. Stefan and Matt be damned. Elena was his.

Suddenly she stiffened in his arms, her hands stilling in his hair.

_What the hell are you doing? She belongs to your brother, remember? She'll never truly love you. Just like Katherine, it will always be Stefan. _

Damon wrenched himself away from Elena.

The sharp sting of her palm connecting with his cheek snapped his head to the right. 

"How dare you!" Tears filled her eyes. "How dare you do that when I just watched another woman leave your bed! How dare you do that when you know I am in love with your brother!"

She shoved by him and slammed the door on her way out.

Tears streaming down her face, Elena ran to her car. She climbed inside, locked the doors, and collapsed into a blubbering heap against the steering wheel.

What was wrong with her? What did she expect? It wasn't fair for her to be so angry with Damon. She'd done this. She had always known they'd shared this…connection. And then when Damon had finally admitted that he loved her she had kissed him.

If Stefan were still here it would be easier for her and Damon to move pass what had happened that fateful night in Damon's bedroom. When Stefan was around it was easier for Elena and Damon to ignore whatever was happening between them. But Stefan wasn't here anymore. He'd disappeared, leaving her behind, alone.

Except that she wasn't alone. Damon was here, just as he'd always promised. And what if Stefan suddenly needed his help? Would he go running off to help his brother, just like Stefan had chosen to help Damon over her?

_I will always choose you. _ Damon's promise echoed in her mind, calming her fears and agitation immediately. Because deep down Elena was beginning to understand that Damon was the Salvatore brother she could always rely on.

Damon had blown into Mystic Falls and watched over her from the very beginning. Granted, his intentions hadn't been exactly honorable at first, but he'd still been there, watching her. And as threat after threat came after her, he'd been there, protecting her. Although she hadn't agreed with his decisions some of the time, okay most of the time, she'd remained safe.

He'd always been there for her, even when Stefan hadn't. No matter what. And while Stefan had fought just as hard to keep her safe, to come to her rescue when she'd needed it, Damon had always been there too. Stefan never could have done it without Damon's help. Damon was stronger than Stefan. Because he embraced his vampire nature, Damon was physically stronger than Stefan. And he was able to remain emotionally detached when he had to be.

_ It's okay to love them both. I did. _Had Katherine been right? Was it possible to love two brothers at the same time? Elena couldn't believe she was actually asking herself this question. But she had to be honest with herself. Yes, she was in love with Stefan. She'd never denied that, but Damon? Was it possible that her feelings for him had grown into something more?

"Oh, god!" Elena sobbed as a whirlwind of emotions raged within her. "Lord help me but I do! I love them both." She was no better than Katherine.

She'd seen the damage that Katherine had done to Damon. She'd led him on, played with his heart then tossed him aside. And to make matters worse, when he'd finally found her again, she'd admitted that the one she'd truly loved all along had been Stefan. It had destroyed Damon.

And yet, here he was, willing to take another chance on love with her.

"No pressure," Elena muttered as she wiped the tears from her face. With a newfound resolve, she turned the key in the ignition. As she backed down the drive, she knew what she had to do, at least for the time being.

Elena knew that she had to put some distance between herself and Damon. They had finally reached an impasse. And she was going to have to be the one to initiate where their relationship was going from here. The problem was that she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to take the next step with Damon. And she wasn't ready to let him go either. So they were both going to have to wait for now.


	6. Chapter 6

All around Damon people danced, drank, laughed. Mystic Grill was in full swing tonight. The place was packed. A local live band was performing. Though the music wasn't really to his liking, he tapped his foot along to the beat.

And he watched.

Darcy was behind the bar again. But she was busy serving drinks, so she was of no use to him. Besides, he'd been there, done that. He would find a new plaything. That was what he did.

His eyes searched the sea of eligible bodies as he sipped his whiskey. His skin was crawling with the need to have some fun. The need to hunt was clawing inside him, snarling to get out. He'd been feeding all week on willing and able bodies. But the monster inside him was growing more and more restless as the seconds ticked by.

And Damon was trying very hard to stomp it down. He couldn't hunt in Mystic Falls. And he couldn't leave town and leave Elena unprotected. But for some reason, the need was too great tonight. He just might have to take that chance.

"Damon."

He glanced sideways at Caroline. "Caroline."

"Damon, are you okay?"

Rolling his eyes, he said, "Just peachy."

"I'm serious. Have you heard from Stefan?"

"No."

"Look, I don't know what's going on with you and Elena these days, but it's obvious something happened." When he glared at her, she stepped back, eyes widening.

"There is nothing going on with Elena and me these days."

And therein lies the problem. Ever since he'd kissed her exactly six days ago - and yes he'd been counting - they'd successfully avoided each other. When they ran into one another in public, they were civil to one another, but the tension between them was undeniably thick.

He'd spent every night at the Grill, taken a different woman home. Then he'd snuck out while said woman was sleeping to go sit in the tree outside of Elena's bedroom window. Even if they weren't getting along that well right now her safety was still his first priority. And he couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming.

On the third night, Caroline had seen him. But she hadn't said a word. Instead, she'd given him a slight nod and continued on her own little patrol around Elena's house. Maybe he wasn't the only who was experiencing a sense of impending trouble.

But now Damon was getting bored with the same old routine. He needed a different kind of release. He needed to chase. To kill.

_Go for it, Damon. Go for a hunt. Elena is making you soft. You need to remind yourself of who and what you really are. _

"Damon, I can see the recklessness stirring in your eyes." Caroline said cautiously. "Please don't do something rash."

"I am rash." Damon emptied his glass and whistled for another. "Deal with it. Or don't. Either way I don't care."

"Why do have to be such a jerk?" Caroline frowned. "I'm trying to be your friend right now."

"Is that what you're doing?" Damon scowled at her. "Oh, I get it. You want me to let it all out, discuss my _feelings_." Rolling his eyes to the ceiling, he smirked. "News flash, Blondie, guys don't do that mushy mushy, touchy feely stuff. Espcially this guy."

"Oh that's right." Caroline shook her head. "I forgot. Damon Salvatore doesn't feel."

"Now you're catching on."

Caroline leaned closer to him to whisper, "Newsflash, dickhead, you're lying. And everybody knows it."

As Damon stared at her, contemplating a snappy comeback, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Frowning, he pulled it out and found a video message awaiting him.

Darcy filled his glass and slid it back across the bar to him, accompanied with a wink. Returning the wink, Damon picked up the glass as he opened the message.

Stefan's image filled the screen. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth as he smiled. Damon recognized the look of satisfaction of the hunt in his brother's eyes. A stab of jealousy zipped through Damon.

_Look at that. Here you are, trying to be a good brother and babysit the so-called love of his life, and Stefan is off having a grand old time. Without you I might add. All those years you tried to get him to feed on human blood so you guys could team up and take on the world together. All those years he fought you about it. He didn't put up much of fight with Klaus now did he?_

As Damon watched the video, Stefan extended a hand to help someone up who had just finished feeding from the body lying on the ground.

Katherine.

Damon's gut clenched as he watched his brother take Katherine in his arms and kiss her passionately. The video ended. Jealousy and hurt raged through him as he stared at the blank screen. How was it that Stefan always got everything that Damon wanted?

_Because you're not good enough, Damon. You weren't good enough for your father, Stefan, or Katherine. You will always be second choice for everyone, even Elena._

Elena. Damon cringed inwardly as he thought about what this turn of events was going to do to her. She was going to be crushed, devastated. Damon knew just how much it hurt to place your trust in Stefan's hand and then have him betray that trust.

Damn it Stefan! Renewed anger surged through him at the thought of Elena finding out about Stefan and Katherine.

"Damon, what is it?" Caroline asked. "What's wrong?"

Shoving the phone in his pocket, Damon knocked back the whiskey in a single gulp. "Look after Elena for a little while." He turned and stalked out of the Grill, leaving a nervous looking Caroline behind him.

Elena, Matt, Jeremy and Bonnie were watching a movie at Elena and Jeremy's house. Because she knew that her brother and her friends were trying so hard to cheer her up, Elena feigned interest in the movie.

All week Elena had been pretending to be fine. When in reality, she was exhausted. Sleep had eluded her ever since Damon had kissed her six days ago. Her insides felt like a series of knots, twisted together to form one giant knot around her heart.

She missed Jenna. She missed Stefan. She missed Damon. Sure, she saw Damon almost every day around town. Mystic Falls was too small not to run into someone you knew on a daily basis. And they were polite to one another. Too polite.

She missed their playful banter, his smirk, that annoying eyebrow thing that he did. And that piercing ice blue gaze that made her feel like she was the most important thing in the world. Now when she saw those blue eyes they were so heavily guarded that it made her heart ache.

Her phone rang on the table beside the couch. Surprised, Elena reached over and glanced at the screen as she got up and walked out of the room. Caroline.

"Hey Caroline."

"Elena, I hope I'm not making a mistake calling you, Damon needs you."

Elena's stomach dropped to the floor. "What's wrong?"

"I was with him at the Grill, and he was already agitated. Then he got this text message and took off. So I followed him to a little club outside of town." Caroline paused. "He killed people tonight, Elena."

"Where are you now? Where's Damon?" 

"At his house." Caroline's voice lowered. "I followed him home. But something seems off with him. He's upset, Elena. And we all know that an upset Damon is a dangerous Damon."

Which Elena knew meant something had happened. Something had upset Damon. When he was upset he lashed out, and people ended up hurt or dead, which was why her friends were encouraging her to be so careful around Damon lately. They viewed him as a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at a moments notice.

"I tried talking to him," Caroline continued. "But he won't talk to me. I think you're the only one he'll talk to, Elena. But you have to promise me that you'll be careful."

"Caroline, he won't hurt me." Elena was getting so tired of saying that to people.

"I don't mean physically, Elena. And I don't mean intentionally either." A few seconds ticked by before she continued. "It's just that he's so…lost right now. You need to be careful. I don't know what's going on with the two of you right now, but you need to figure it out. Because Damon needs you right now."

"I'm on my way." Elena hung up and snatched her keys from the hall table. Her stomach churned with anxiety. Since when did Caroline care so much about Damon? He must be really upset.

"Elena, where are you going?" Bonnie asked from the doorway.

"It's Damon. I have to go."

"Wait. I'll go with you."

On the way to the car, Bonnie grabbed Elena's keys. "I'll drive."

Fear kept Elena from arguing. As she climbed into the passenger seat she saw that her hands were shaking. Something had happened. Something had finally set Damon off. Elena knew that she was the only one who could get him to snap out of it. At least she hoped she could.

"Elena, what is going on?" Bonnie asked.

"I just have to get to Damon. Now. Please hurry."

"Why? What is going on? Elena, you're shaking. Tell me what's going on."

"Bonnie, he killed two people tonight. Caroline called. She's at his house right now."

"So she was right after all."

Elena turned in her seat, realizing that Bonnie had known this was going to happen. "Bonnie, what do you know about this?"

"Caroline called earlier and asked that we keep you entertained because she was scared that Damon was going to go on a bender." She took a deep breath. "Apparently he received some type of text message that made him really angry. After he read it, he took off with that killer look blazing in his eyes."

Elena knew that look. She'd seen it quite often in Damon's eyes, especially when he was deeply upset.

"Elena, what is going on with you two?" Bonnie asked as they sped out of town. "And where exactly are we going?"

Sighing, Elena said, "His house. It's complicated. And honestly, Bonnie, I don't feel like defending him to you right now. I know Damon isn't your favorite person."

"You're right. Damon isn't my favorite person, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't support you if you want to be with him." Mouth gaping, Elena stared at her best friend. Of all people, she never expected to find this encouragement in Bonnie! "Elena, I know Damon will do whatever he can to keep you safe. Just like me. And everyone else that loves you. He's proven that."

"Thank you, Bonnie."

"I'm not finished yet. That being said, I still have to ask you to be careful. Damon will not hurt you physically. I believe that, but keep in mind that words sometime hurt more than anything physical." She took a deep breath and glanced at Elena. "And if you do decide to be with him, you need to make sure that you're not just biding your time with him because Stefan is gone and you don't want to be alone. Because if you hurt Damon, Elena, people could end up dead. Look at what happened tonight. And next time he might not leave town to go on one of his killing sprees. Next time it could be people you know who die."

And here Elena had thought that Bonnie and Caroline were worried about Damon hurting Elena. Instead, it seemed like they were more worried about Elena hurting him. What an interesting turn of events.


	7. Chapter 7

Feeling invigorated, Damon gulped his drink. His vampire nature had relished stalking and chasing down not one, but two people. Their terrified screams and pleading for their lives had fed the monster within him. And draining them dry had felt liberating, empowering.

_That's right. It felt so good to give in to your true nature. _

Ignoring the voice, Damon sauntered over to the side table to pour another drink. Lately, he'd started becoming more and more remorseful after letting his vampire nature take control of him. He supposed he owed that to Elena. After all, it was her brown eyes that filled his mind after each kill now.

As he refilled his glass, Damon snorted. Most people would be shocked to discover that badass Damon Salvatore could ever feel ashamed. He'd spent so many years covering it up that he didn't blame them for thinking he had no conscience left. After all, isn't that what he wanted everyone to believe, himself included?

The sound of a car pulling into the drive set him on alert. Her scent sent his heart racing. Damn it. He so did not need this right now. There wasn't enough blood in the world to give him the strength to deal with Elena.

Damn Caroline. It wasn't enough that she'd ruined his fun at the club and then followed him here to give him her two cents about him and Elena, telling him it was time to man up and deal with his feelings for Elena. No, she'd had to send Elena here as well.

"Damon." Elena rushed up to him, her body vibrating with anxiety.

"Elena to the rescue." Damon smirked into his drink. He found it both annoying and amusing that she was here trying to help him even though they were barely speaking to one another.

"What the hell are doing? What is going on with you, Damon?"

"Go home, Elena." Damon turned his back on her to stare into the flames dancing in the fireplace. "Caroline shouldn't have called you."

She stepped in front of him, demanding his attention. "Caroline is worried about you. So am I. Please talk to me Damon."

As he stared into her eyes he realized that she was not going to leave without putting up a fight. He was either going to have to tell her about Stefan and Katherine and shatter her world, or he was going to have to make her extremely angry with him and shatter the remains of their incredibly fragile relationship. Either way, she was going to end up hurt.

Elena stared at Damon, waiting patiently for him to say something, anything. She watched his inner struggle through his eyes. And then she saw the change come over him as he came to a decision. His body tensed and his eyes hardened. His brows furrowed.

"Don't Damon." She knew what was coming. He was going to try to make her angry to get her to leave. "Don't go into asshole mode to try to make me angry." Elena stepped forward and took his hand in hers. "I am not going to let you push me away."

He snatched his hand away and turned to walk away from her. He plopped onto the couch, drink in hand. The crackling of the fire filled the silence around them. She watched as he slowly sipped his drink, refusing to meet her gaze. Instead, he focused on the fire.

As she waited, Elena contemplated. Whatever had set him off tonight must be really bad. She'd never seen Damon withdraw into himself like this. He didn't sit and say nothing.

"Damon, please," she said quietly. "Talk to me. I can't help you if I don't know what's got you so upset."

"Maybe I don't want your help Elena."

Even though they weren't surprising, the words still hurt. She had thought they'd gotten past this stage of their relationship. They'd come too far, suffered too much together, to shut each other out now. She refused to let it happen. There was no way they could just give up on each other now. She needed him. And she could only hope that he felt the same way about her.

"I'm not going to let you do this to us, Damon." Her heart raced as she realized that she was teetering on the edge of changing the dynamics of their relationship forever. But maybe it was time to finally face the feelings that were simultaneously pulling them together and tearing them apart.

When she stepped toward him, Damon said, "I mean it, Elena. I don't want you here. I don't need you here. Go. Home."

"You might think that you don't want me here, but you're wrong. I can see it reflected in your eyes. And I need to be here for you, Damon. _Let_ me be here for you."

He shot off of the couch. "Damn it, Elena! Why can't you just go? Do you want to hear me say that I'm upset?" He threw his hands in the air. "Fine! I'm upset! Now you can leave!"

"No." She was going to stand her ground. She was not going to leave until he told her what was going on.

Snarling, he tossed his now empty glass against the mantle. The glass exploded into a shower of glittering shards, representing the tears that she knew Damon held inside, Elena stared at Damon expectantly. She refused to let him win.

"Elena, please. Just go. I don't want to hurt you." He cradled his head in his hands dejectedly. "Don't make me hurt you."

"I'm not scared of you Damon." She crossed her arms. "You won't hurt me."

"You're wrong, Elena. If I tell you what you want to know it will hurt you." He reached up and stroked her cheek. Gazing into her eyes, he said, "I promise that it will hurt you. And I can't handle it. Not tonight."

The truth in his eyes sent a shiver along her spine and had a lump of fear lodging in her throat. "Tell me, Damon."

Dropping his hand, shaking his head, he stepped back away from her.


	8. Chapter 8

Refusing to back down, Elena stood her ground in front of him, waiting for a reaction. And damned if that feistiness didn't make him love her even more. God she looked so tough standing there with her arms crossed, watching him with those perfectly shaped brows furrowed in stubborn concentration. But he knew that if he told her about Stefan and Katherine that ironclad strength that she fought so hard to project would melt away instantly as the flames of betrayal consumed her.

And it would be his doing. He would be the one to introduce her to such pain. Just thinking about it made it difficult for him to breathe. He sank onto the couch to try to get himself together.

"Damon, tell me what happened tonight? Why did you kill those people?"

_There's the opening you've been hoping for, Damon. Tell her that you enjoyed it. Being a monster. Because that is what you are. Tell her. Scare her away._

Shrugging a shoulder, he arched an eyebrow at her. "Because it was fun." Rolling his eyes, he said, "Because I'm a killer, Elena." He jumped to his feet, holding his arms wide. "I am a vampire who hunts and kills people, Elena. It's what I do. It's why everyone hates me."

"I don't hate you, Damon." The words were spoken so quietly, so calmly, that Damon almost thought he'd imagined them.

"Elena, I kill people. And I enjoy it. I don't deserve your compassion or understanding." He stepped closer to her. "Save it for my brother. He's the good one. He's the one that deserves your loyalty, your love."

"Damon. You're good too. When you want to be."

"No. I'm not." He turned away from her because he couldn't stand to see the disappointment that he was so sure was going to fill her eyes. "That is where you're wrong. There is nothing good about me."

Except for you. The words echoed in his heart. But he knew he couldn't say them out loud.

_Tell her how much you enjoyed killing those people tonight. Make her understand that you can't be saved. Because you can't, Damon. You and I both know that. _

"Elena, I'm not strong enough to be the person you need me to be. It's exhausting. I don't know how Stefan does it."

"Damon, I never asked you to change." Elena stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I don't want you to try and be someone different. And you're not exhausted from trying to be a better person. You're exhausted from _fighting_ who you really are."

Damon turned in her arms to stare into her eyes as his emotions warred inside him. How was it possible that this girl could understand him so well? No one in his life, both his human life and his vampire existence, had ever seen the truth about him as clearly as Elena did. No one else had ever cared enough to find out his secret.

As Elena stared into his eyes, she saw his trepidation. She was onto him, and they both knew it. They both knew that he was strong enough to ignore the urge to kill. After all, hadn't he been showing such restraint for months now? It was possible for him to feed without killing. But he chose to kill because it scared people and kept them from getting too close to him.

And Elena couldn't really blame Damon for trying to protect himself. Everyone he had ever loved had let him down and hurt him. His mother had died, leaving him behind with a father who saw nothing but disappointment in him. Stefan had betrayed him by revealing the truth about Katherine, resulting in Damon losing his first love. And Katherine had led him to believe that she truly loved him and wanted to be with him forever, which clearly had not been true.

The ringing of the doorbell made them both jump. Muttering under his breath, Damon went to answer it. Elena's phone buzzed in her pocket. Thinking it was Bonnie checking up on her, she smiled as she hit the open button on the incoming message.

As Stefan's image filled the screen, her heart jumped into her throat. He had just killed someone. Blood was running down his chin. But it wasn't the blood that horrified Elena; it was the look in his eyes. Gone were the caring, tender eyes she knew and loved. Instead she found herself facing the triumphant eyes of a satisfied predator, reveling in his latest kill.

Breath catching in her chest, Elena's eyes filled with tears as Katherine appeared, laughed, and hugged Stefan. And then he kissed her!

Betrayal, sharp and hot, pierced Elena's heart. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her vision became fuzzy around the edges, reminding her to breathe. Gulping in air, she tightened her grip on the phone, caught between wanting to hurl it across the room and wanting to replay the video. Because surely she'd seen it wrong.

Stefan wouldn't do this to her. He wouldn't leave her behind with Damon to go off and be with Katherine. He didn't love Katherine any more! He loved her! At least he'd claimed to. But he'd also claimed to always protect her from danger too. And then he'd left.

"Bonnie is just a tad bit overprotective, don't you think?" Damon sauntered back into the room. "Elena?"

He was beside her in an instant, demanding to know what was wrong. Unable to speak, she handed him her phone. She knew that it would hurt him just as much, if not more, to see Katherine and Stefan together, but she couldn't face this pain alone. She selfishly needed someone to come along on this agonizing ride with her. She needed to share this anguish with someone.

"Damn it." But his voice lacked the angry, shocked betrayal Elena had expected. Instead, he sounded bitter and defeated.

"You knew?" Elena gasped as he nodded. "How long have you known, Damon? How could you not tell me?"

"Elena, I…" He reached out to touch her.

"Don't touch me!" Elena stumbled backwards. And then it hit her. "Wait. That was the text message you got before you ran off. This is why you killed those people!"

"Partly. Elena, honey, you have to understand that Stefan is not the Stefan you know and love right now. You must remember that it is the bloodlust that is making him act so differently. Like before when he started drinking human blood again, only worse this time."

"Don't do that!" She pointed a shaky finger at him. "Don't defend him! Don't try to explain his actions to me!" As she stepped back again, she found herself against the wall. "Just don't." She sagged against the paneled wall as she gave in to the heart wrenching sobs that racked her body.

"I'm not defending him, Elena." Damon stepped in front of her and pulled her into his arms. "I'm trying to make it hurt less for _you_."

Hearing her pain reflected in his voice, Elena sniffled and looked up at him and into those eyes that she'd grown to rely on for comfort and strength. Because she did need them. She'd grown to rely on those sky blue eyes to remind her that someone would always be there for her. Always.

_I will always choose you._

Instantly, the pain of seeing Stefan and Katherine together was gone. It had evaporated like a water droplet on hot asphalt. Poof.

Because she didn't want there to be any confusion this time, she said the words out loud. "Kiss me, Damon." Her heart thumping in her chest, she knew there was no turning back now. She and Damon would never be the same after this moment.

"Elena, I can't," he whispered as he tried to pull away from her. "You're just doing this because you're angry at Stefan. You'll regret this in the morning."

"Yes. I am angry about Stefan and Katherine." She smiled as she finally accepted what was in her heart. "But I will never regret you, Damon. Never."

She heard his breath hitch. His blue eyes widened as she reached up to tenderly brush a lock of hair from his forehead. "Elena…"

His mouth crushed hers, his lips greedily working hers apart so his tongue could invade and conquer, finally claiming her as his. Heaving a sigh of relief, Elena wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her as she relished the tangy mixture of whiskey and the metallic hint of blood of his kiss.

Not to be outdone, her tongue met his thrust for thrust as the kiss took on a life of its own. It became its own being, breaking free of their control. There was no stopping now. Elena thought she would die from the intense need coursing through her veins as Damon's hands found her hips and jerked her against him, yanking her legs around his waist.

Head spinning as the world shifted around her, Elena half chuckled and half moaned when she felt the softness of a mattress pressing against her back. Damon's mouth had never left hers as he's carried her up the stairs and to his room.

Breaking free long enough to rip his shirt over his head, Damon grinned down at her. God, she loved that sexy grin. And then his mouth was on hers again, urging her higher and higher until she thought she would explode from the pressure of need that swirled inside her.

Aching to be even closer to him, Elena tugged at the remaining barriers between them. The sound of ripping fabric hissed through the air. She didn't care. Only one thing mattered now.

Damon.


	9. Chapter 9

Smiling, Damon began kissing the smooth white skin of her neck and slowly trailed down her shoulder, lightly nipping as he went. Her hands gripped his shoulders, then relaxed as her nails scraped down his back, leaving delicious trails of fire in their wake.

Her fingers tangled in his dark hair, gently tugging him back up so she could kiss him again. Breaking away from his mouth, she breathed into his ear, "Damon, please."

Hearing her say his name when her bare breasts pressed against his chest nearly drove him over the edge. She fit perfectly against him. It was as if she'd been created just for him.

Ducking his head, he sucked one tight nipple into his mouth. She arched against him as he nibbled and tugged the tight bud between his teeth. His hand caressed the silky porcelain skin of her hip, down her thigh and between her legs to find her swollen and wet.

"Christ Elena." He shuddered. "You're so wet."

Thrusting a finger inside her, Damon groaned as she screamed his name, her nails digging into his shoulders once more. As he stroked her from the inside, Elena's hips ground against his hand. Releasing her nipple, he kissed her mouth again. He inserted another finger, and she began to buck against his hand, wrenching her mouth from his to bite his shoulder, sending a sharp sting of pleasurable pain through him.

"Damon!" She gasped against his skin.

He moved to her neck, where he gently kissed the soft tender skin, then circled his tongue before licking his way up to ear. Sucking the lobe into his mouth, he continued to pump his fingers in and out of her, reveling in the way her muscles tightened in preparation for the oncoming orgasm.

And just when he thought she was going to explode, she inhaled sharply, her entire body tensing. Chuckling, Damon moved back to her breast, lazily circling his tongue around the tight bud. Knowing that she was holding back, he vowed that this was one battle she was not going to win.

"Don't fight it, baby." Damon whispered, his warm breath caressing her nipple. "Come for me Elena. I want you to come. Right. Now." He clamped the nipple between his teeth.

"Damon! Oh! God! Damon! Yes!"

It was all he could do to keep from coming himself as he felt her sex clench around fingers. He could only imagine how it was going to feel to be inside of her, feeling her tighten around his dick. As she cried out, her slick juices ran down his hand. He could smell their ripe sweetness. He knew they would taste like honey against his tongue. But he had to know for sure.

"That's my girl." Damon growled triumphantly as he pulled back, his mouth watering in anticipation as he imagined how she would taste.

Leaving a trail of kisses as he slid down her body, he pulled back and looked at her before diving in to lap at her swollen lips. As his tongue darted between her slick folds, Elena gasped, "Oh God! Damon!" She gripped the sheets in her fists as her head thrashed from side to side as he gently licked, nipped and suckled at her center, circled his tongue around her throbbing clit.

She tasted better than he'd ever imagined, unlike anything Damon had ever experienced. He could drink from her forever. Giving her clit a final nip, he licked her lips again, quickly delving his tongue inside her once more. Using his thumb, he pressed against her clit. Tremors of pleasure ripped through again.

"Christ Elena," Damon moaned against her sex. "You're more beautiful than I ever could have imagined." Although his dick throbbed and ached to be buried within her wet heat, he continued to kiss, lick, and suckle at her until she was once again riding his hand, giving him a delightful preview of what was to come.

"Damon," she gasped, "Please! I need you inside of me! Now!"

Chuckling, Damon moved to hover over her. He gazed down into her gorgeous, desire filled eyes. "Last chance."

"Don't you even dream about stopping now," Elena growled. "I swear I will never speak to you again if you do!"

He plunged into her, and everything around them disappeared. The world as they knew it ceased to exist. It was just the two of them, Damon and Elena. Nothing and no one could touch them. Together they were invincible.

The pleasure Damon found within Elena was so exquisite, so powerful, so devastating that he was sure he would die from it. Never before had he felt anything like this. Not even with Katherine.

Damon wasn't sure where he ended and Elena began anymore. They moved together as one. With each cry of pleasure that escaped Elena's lips Damon lost a little more of himself within the perfection that was Elena.

"_Damon!_" With a final cry and a jerking arch against him, Elena writhed beneath him as the wave after wave of rapture crashed through her.

"Fuck! Elena!" Damon followed her into the abyss of ecstasy with a final thrust. He gave himself to her, everything he was, everything he wanted to be, and everything she needed him to be.

And he desperately hoped it would be enough.

The next morning Elena woke up to find herself alone in Damon's bed. Jolting upright in startled disbelief, Elena quickly looked around the room. She was in _Damon's_ bed. And she was naked!

As the memories of the previous night filled her mind, a satisfied grin slowly spread across her face.

She was in Damon's bed. And she was deliciously sore between her legs. Damon had ravaged her again and again throughout the night. And she'd loved every second of it.

Although she knew she should feel some remorse over having slept with Stefan's brother, Elena didn't. After all, Stefan had obviously moved on with Katherine.

Plus, being with Damon had felt so…right. She'd always felt some connection between them, but last night had confirmed that she and Damon shared something special. Damon had stirred up feelings in her that she had never before experienced. There'd never been so much passion between her and Stefan.

Picking up his pillow from beside her, she squealed joyfully into the black silk. Of course Damon would have silk sheets. Inhaling his dark, spicy scent, she sighed deeply.

"Where are you anyway?" Elena asked aloud.

She climbed out of bed and gathered up her clothes to go find Damon. Her shirt was ruined, so she grabbed his from the floor, hastily buttoned it, and rolled up the sleeves.

As she stepped into the hallway, she heard urgent voices drifting up the stairs.

"I want to see my sister now." Jeremy was definitely in protective brother mode. Something was going on with him lately. But every time Elena had asked him about it, he shrugged her off.

"Stop being so overprotective. I told you that she is fine. She's sleeping." Damon didn't bother to hide his irritability.

"I don't believe you Damon. It's not like her to not call if she's not coming home." Elena could hear the tremor of fear in Jeremy's voice. "Especially now that Jenna is gone."

Cringing, Elena paused on the landing. Of course. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before. Jeremy was scared of losing her like he'd lost everyone else he'd loved. She should have called Jeremy last night to let them him she was okay and that she wouldn't be home.

"Damon," Bonnie said, "Jeremy just wants to see that his sister is okay. You can't blame him for being worried." She glanced at Jeremy. "If he says Elena is okay, then she is, Jeremy. I've already told you that I don't believe he won't hurt her."

Damon sneered, "Careful, Bonnie. People might think you're actually starting to like me." He muttered a curse and glanced up at the stairs where Elena was standing, peering over the edge of the banister. Looking back at Bonnie he said, "Look, I promise I'll have Elena call you when she gets up. Just go before you make things worse."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jeremy's hands fisted at his sides.

"Okay. I'm done being nice." Damon stepped toward Jeremy. "I guess I'm going to have to throw you out."

Elena knew that Damon was trying to spare her a humiliating walk of shame down his staircase. But Elena didn't care what anyone thought about the two of them being together. She'd meant it when she had told Damon that she would not regret being with him. She wasn't ashamed of their night together. And she was going to prove it to him right now.

Elena started down the stairs. "It's okay, Damon."


	10. Chapter 10

The three of them turned as one to watch Elena descend. Seeing Elena dressed in his shirt sent a starling thrill of possessiveness through Damon. God, he never wanted her to take it off. Well, maybe sometimes. He grinned. She looked so breathtakingly beautiful, so perfect, so _his_.

"What the -?" Jeremy tensed, but Bonnie silenced him with a single, soft touch.

"I'm sorry I didn't call last night." Elena smiled as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She casually smoothed her hair. "That was selfish of me. I got a little distracted." She winked at Damon.

Well wasn't this a pleasant surprise? Damon had been expecting Elena to try to hide the fact that they'd spent the night together. He'd thought she would be worried about people's reactions. Apparently he'd been wrong. And judging by the shocked expressions on Jeremy's and Bonnie's faces, he wasn't the only one surprised by Elena's boldness.

"Well okay. Jeremy," Bonnie said quietly. "We see that Elena is okay. Let's go now."

Shaking his head, Jeremy stared as Elena stepped up to Damon and kissed his lips. "Elena, what are you doing? Stefan hasn't even been gone two weeks. This isn't like you. You're not _that_ girl."

Jeremy's implication ignited Damon's need to protect and defend Elena. Instantly he was in Jeremy's face. "One, you do not speak to your sister that way, Jeremy. It is disrespectful. Two, you will not disrespect your sister in _my_ house. I will not tolerate it."

"But it's okay for you to disrespect her by coercing her into sleeping with you to get back at your brother?" Jeremy glared back at Damon.

As Damon stared into Jeremy's challenging gaze he saw a familiar defiance that he knew all too well. This was personal. This kid was spoiling for a fight. With him.

"Damon, please." Elena placed a hand on his arm, gently urging him to step away from Jeremy.

"It's okay Elena." Damon cast a reassuring nod over his shoulder. "It's clear that Jeremy and I need to talk. Why don't you and Bonnie go wait in the living room while we step outside to talk."

"But –"

"It's fine. We're just going to talk, isn't that right Jeremy?" Damon looked at Jeremy, who nodded.

Leading the teenager outside, Damon turned to face him. "What's the deal man? I thought we were cool. What happened?"

Jeremy crossed his arms and scowled at the ground. "Nothing."

A few minutes passed in silence. When it was clear that Jeremy wasn't going to willingly talk, Damon decided that making him angry was the way to go. "Well, Jeremy, I hate to break it to you, but I am not going to stop sleeping with your sister just because it makes you mad. No sir. The sex is too damn good to give up."

"You son of a bitch!"

Although Damon could easily have sidestepped Jeremy's punch he chose not to do so. Instead, the boy's fist connected with Damon's jaw. And then Jeremy had fistfuls of Damon's shirt in his hands, his face inches away from Damon's. And Damon merely stood there.

"Don't talk about her like that! She deserves better than you! It's only a matter of time before your evilness wears off on her! Why can't you just go away before you destroy her like everything else you touch!"

Raising an eyebrow, Damon asked, "And to what do I owe this sudden burst of hatred?"

Turning away from him, Jeremy kicked at the ground in front of him. "You're not good for her Damon. You're putting Elena in danger, and you don't even know it. Or maybe you do and you just don't care because you're too selfish. That's what Anna thinks anyway."

"Anna? Anna is dead Jeremy." Cold dread seeped into Damon's chest, making it difficult for him to catch his breath. What the hell did a dead vampire have to with this?

"Forget I said anything." Jeremy looked at him with panic filled eyes. "Please don't say anything. I don't want Bonnie to know."

Damon reached out and grabbed Jeremy by the shoulders. "Tell me what exactly it is that you don't want Bonnie to know. Jeremy, what is going on with you? And what does your dead ex-girlfriend have to do with it?"

Sighing, Jeremy swallowed nervously. "You have to promise not to say anything to anyone, especially Bonnie and Elena."

"Shit." Damon didn't want to keep anything from Elena. Especially now. But the look on Jeremy's face told him that he was going to have to agree to do so if he wanted to find out what was going on with Jeremy. "Fine."

"Ever since Bonnie brought me back I can see and talk to both Vicki and Anna. And they're both warning me that something bad is coming for Elena. And it somehow involves you."

"You're kidding me, right?" Damon looked into Jeremy's eyes, hoping to see a glimmer of amusement. Because if what Jeremy was saying was true, then Damon's biggest fear was coming true. He was endangering Elena by being with her.

While the guys disappeared outside, Elena and Bonnie went into the living room. They sat on the overstuffed sofa and stared at each other nervously. After a minute they both laughed.

"How long should we give them before we go check on them?" Elena asked.

"They'll be fine. Actually, it might do Jeremy some good. He used to look up to Damon before…everything." Bonnie sighed. "Maybe Damon can help him."

Choosing to ignore the disturbing thought of Jeremy looking up to Damon as a big brother figure, Elena decided to focus on the current problem. "Bonnie, what's going on with him?"

Shrugging, Bonnie said, "I'm not sure. He won't talk about it with me. I'm really starting to worry about him. There's been several times that I've heard him talking to someone, but when I go into the room there's no one there. And when I ask him about it, he shuts down."

Frowning, Elena looked at her best friend carefully. She'd known Bonnie almost all of her life and could tell that Bonnie was really worried. And it scared Elena because it was her brother that Bonnie was so worried about.

Elena had been so wrapped up in her own drama with Damon that she'd pretty much ignored the warning signs that her brother was in trouble. What kind of a sister was she? Jeremy had had a hard time after their parents had died. And now Jenna was gone. That meant Jeremy was now Elena's responsibility. And here she'd been too caught up in her own drama to make sure he was okay.

"Do you think it's drugs again?" Elena asked.

Bonnie shook her head. "No. He doesn't seem high or anything. It just seems like he's staying in his own head a lot. It's weird."

Elena reached out to take Bonnie's hand in hers. "Are you guys okay?"

"No." Bonnie's eyes watered. "I don't know what to do Elena. It's like he's angry with me, and I don't know why. I don't know what I did. He just hasn't been the same since I brought him back."

"Do you think the spell might have something to do with it?" Elena asked. It wouldn't be the first time a spell had gone wrong.

"I don't know." Bonnie wiped the tears from her face. "I hope not because then that would mean that I'm responsible for whatever it is that's wrong with him. I don't know if I can handle that. Oh, Elena! I just didn't want him to die!"

Wrapping her arms around Bonnie, Elena hugged her friend tightly. She silently prayed that Bonnie's spell had nothing to do with what was going on with Jeremy.

"Okay." Bonnie pulled away from Elena and gave her a watery smile. "So, enough about me. You and Damon are…" She raised her eyebrows. "better now?"

Laughing, Elena said, "Much better. Bonnie?"

"Yes?"

"What made you change your mind about Damon? I mean. You've never thought is was a good idea for me to be friends with him, not to mention more, but last night you pretty much gave me your blessing. In fact, you seemed to be on Damon's side more than mine."

Shrugging a shoulder, Bonnie said, "Before I thought Damon was just trying to get into your pants to get back at Stefan for the whole Katherine thing. But then, after I got over the shock of seeing you wearing his shirt, I watched his face as you came down the stairs this morning." She smiled. "He _grinned_. I've never seen Damon Salvatore genuinely grin. You might actually be good for him." She reached out and took Elena's hand in her own. "And even though I still have this nagging feeling that you're playing with fire, I can't help but see how happy you look this morning."

"Really?" Elena's voice cracked. She hadn't realized how much she'd needed Bonnie's support of her relationship with Damon until right this second.

"Yes. I just hope things work out for you. And I still think you should be careful."

Frowning, Elena bit her lip. She knew that Bonnie was worried about what would happen if Stefan came back. And Elena had to admit that she was a little nervous about that herself. She wasn't sure how she'd handle that if it happened. And she wasn't sure what would happen between Damon and Stefan.

"Bonnie, I have to show you something." Elena pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and brought up the video message.

As she watched the video Bonnie's eyes bulged. "You've got to be kidding me! What an asshole! And he sent that to you?"

Shaking her head, Elena said, "It's not his number. Or Katherine's. I don't know who sent it. But they sent it to Damon too."

"Wow." Bonnie's eyes darted to the floor. "Um, don't hate me for asking this, but is the video the reason you decided to sleep with Damon last night?"

"I would be lying if I said the video had nothing to do with my decision." Elena sighed. "I mean it did play a part in it, but it wasn't the only reason." She paused as she searched for the right words. "I think it was just the final push that I needed to see that Stefan isn't the person I thought he was."

"But he's different when he's feeding on human blood Elena. You've seen that first hand before."

Nodding, Elena stood up and began to pace. "I know. But…I just can't explain it, Bonnie. The fact that he chose _Katherine_ to move on with really hurt. It wouldn't have been nearly as devastating if it had been someone – anyone – else. But I didn't turn to Damon to get revenge. You have to believe me."

"Oh my God, Elena. You love him don't you?"

"Yes." Elena stopped pacing and turned to smile at her friend. "I think I always have."


	11. Chapter 11

Overcome with restlessness, Damon paced the study. Since Elena had left earlier with Bonnie and Jeremy he'd been trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

Apparently, Bonnie's little reviving spell had somehow given Jeremy the ability to speak with the ghosts of his dead ex-girlfriends. Because Damon didn't even attempt to try to understand magic and its repercussions, he wasn't even going to try to figure out how or why this had happened to Jeremy. That was for Bonnie and Jeremy to figure out, worry about, whatever.

What Damon was more worried about was his connection to this so-called danger that was coming for Elena. Once he'd figured that out, then he needed to figure out how to protect her.

Jeremy had explained that during his conversations with the ghosts both Anna and Vicki had warned him that Damon was putting Elena in danger. But they couldn't tell Jeremy who or what the danger was exactly or when it was coming after her. And they kept alluding to the fact that Damon was somehow involved.

"No wonder the kid suddenly hated me again," Damon grumbled.

What was the danger that was coming for Elena? What did he have to do with it? Would Elena be safer without him around? Would she be safer if he left town?

Damon cringed at the thought of leaving Elena. He couldn't imagine his life without her in it. It was too damn depressing to even think about. Not to mention painful as hell. But if it would guarantee her safety he would have to suck it up and leave. At least until the danger passed.

But how could he be sure that the danger would follow him? What if it came for Elena anyway? And if he was not here, then who would protect her? How could he even take that chance?

_Call your brother, Damon. You know you want to talk about this with him. _

Unable to deny that he had considered doing just that, Damon stared at the cell phone in his hand. The problem was that Stefan was with Klaus. And Damon did not want Elena back on Klaus's radar. Klaus thought Elena was dead. And Damon preferred to keep it that way.

_Maybe Klaus knows she's alive. Maybe he doesn't care. Maybe he knows who or what it is that is coming after your precious Elena. Maybe he can help you._

That was a good point. Only Damon didn't trust Klaus. He'd tried to kill Elena. And he was pretty sure Klaus would have killed him too if he hadn't already suffered the werewolf bite. How could Damon be sure he wouldn't try it again? Sure Klaus had gotten what he'd wanted from Elena, but how could Damon be sure he wouldn't want Elena just because she was…well Elena.

If he called his brother there was also the chance that Stefan would come running back to Mystic Falls the second he found out that Elena was in danger. At this point, Stefan was just as much as a threat as Klaus. From what Damon had seen in that video, it was obvious that Stefan had given in completely to the darkest parts of his vampire side. That made him too dangerous to be trusted to be around Elena.

And then there was the possibility that Stefan would want Elena back. No, Damon wasn't going to go there right now. He had to focus on keeping Elena safe.

_Do it. Call Stefan. _

"Shit." Damon rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Fuck it. It's Elena." He punched a button on his phone and held it to his ear.

"_You have reached Stefan's phone. Leave a message and I'll get back to you."_

"Damn it, Stefan!" Raising his hand to throw his phone across the room, Damon decided against it at the last second. Instead, he scrolled through his call log and brought up the number that had sent the video of Stefan and Katherine. He knew it wasn't Katherine's number. So whose was it?

_Call the number. Do it, Damon. _

"Elena!" Caroline waved across the Grill to get Elena's attention.

Elena, Bonnie, and Jeremy headed in Caroline's direction. When Elena saw Matt sitting with Caroline and Tyler, her step faltered. Jeremy ran into her back.

"Whoa! Elena are you okay?" Jeremy asked.

"Um, yeah. Just a little nervous." She nodded her head towards Matt.

"Yeah." Jeremy cringed. "But you know what they say, 'You made your bed…"'

"Gee, thanks Jer." Elena laughed. She was glad to see Jeremy acting more like his old self. He and Damon hadn't told Elena or Bonnie what they had talked about, but it had obviously done Jeremy some good. Jeremy seemed a little more relaxed now.

And she tried not to let the fact that Damon wouldn't tell her what the problem had been between him and Jeremy. When she'd asked he'd just brushed it off as a guy thing. All that really mattered was that Jeremy and Damon definitely seemed better now. For that she was grateful. She didn't know what she would have done if Jeremy had continued to be so resistant to her and Damon's relationship. She didn't want her relationship with Damon to drive a wedge between her and her brother. He was the only family she had left.

"Hey, Elena." Matt stood and kissed her cheek. "You look good. Happy."

"I am." She didn't know how to tell Matt that she was with Damon now. He was not going to be happy.

"Well, my break is over. Back to work."

As Matt walked away, Elena turned to find everyone staring at her. It was obvious from their expressions that she was supposed to go after Matt. So she did. She caught up with him by the bar.

"What's up?" Matt smiled.

"Hey. Um…" She took a deep breath. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm with Damon now. I know you don't approve, but I wanted you to hear it from me."

There was a brief flash of anger in his eyes, but then Matt surprised Elena by smiling and hugging her. "I might not think he's good enough for you, but as long as he makes you happy then I'm happy for you, Elena."

"You really mean that?" She couldn't believe that he was being so cool about this. She'd expected him to be more upset.

"To be honest, I don't think I'll ever believe anyone is good enough for you." Matt kissed her cheek. "But I'm just biased. Now, I have to get back to work. See ya around."

"Yeah. See you." Elena watched him walk into the back of the restaurant. Then she turned around and joined her friends at their table.

"So that didn't look too bad." Jeremy nudged her with his elbow. "Personally, I think he let you off too easily. I'd have made you sweat for a little bit."

Elena laughed. "Spoken like a true brother."

"Sooo?" Caroline arched her eyebrows. "What exactly is going on with you and Damon? Bonnie and Jeremy aren't talking. Did you get things worked out last night?"

Images from the previous night flashed through Elena's mind, making her blush. "Yeah. I guess you could say that."

"OMG. Are you blushing?" Caroline's eyes sparkled. "You totally are! Does that mean you two are…together now? Did you sleep with him?"

"Hello?" Jeremy waved at Caroline. "Younger brother sitting right here. I do not want to hear about this. It's bad enough I was there afterwards for the walk of shame." He cringed.

"Ouch." Tyler chuckled. "That was awkward. Come on, Gilbert. Let's go play some pool while the girls talk."

"You have no idea," Jeremy muttered as he stood up to follow Tyler across the room to the pool table area.

"That's different." Elena looked at Caroline, who shrugged. "And just to clarify, there was absolutely no shame in my walk this morning."

The three girls burst into laughter.


	12. Chapter 12

"Well hello Damon. I have to admit, I wasn't sure you would actually call me this soon."

Damon's stomach clenched as a multitude of emotions churned within him. "What kind of game are you playing now, Klaus?" Damon asked tightly.

Chuckling, Klaus said, "I guess you'll just have to play along to find out."

"And if I don't want to play?"

"You don't have much of a choice now do you Damon?" He paused briefly. "How is our precious little Elena doing?"

Fighting to control the surge of rage that race through him, Damon growled deep in his chest. _Our _Elena? Oh. Hell. No. There was no way he would let Klaus have any type of claim to Elena.

"Now, now, Damon. There's no need for you to get so riled up…yet. I'm having too much fun right now to come back to Mystic Falls right now. So enjoy your time with Elena for now."

"So you _are_ planning oncoming back? Why?"

"Eventually I will. And I have my reasons, which you will find out in due time, my friend."

"Let's get something straight right now," Damon hissed. "I am not your friend. And you will have to kill me to get anywhere close to Elena."

"I saved your life by giving you my blood, and I took your brother out of the equation for you. I gave you the gift of a chance with Elena. You should be thanking me."

"You don't do anything for anybody out of the goodness of your heart, Klaus. What are you getting out of all of this?"

"In due time, my friend. Tell Elena I said hello."

The phone clicked in Damon's ear. Dropping the phone to the floor, he whirled around and sent everything flying off the desk behind him with a single, blurring sweep of his arm. When that wasn't satisfying enough, he overturned the desk as well.

Vibrating with anger, he sauntered over to the side table to pour himself a glass of bourbon. He finished the first glass in a single gulp and poured another one. He had to stuff down the urge to kill immediately. He couldn't afford to lose control. It was imperative that he not screw things up with Elena now.

_ It's getting harder and harder to control your anger. It's different now. Why do you think that is?_

"The fuck if I know," Damon said into his glass.

_The answer lies inside you, Damon. Think about it._

What the hell was this damn voice trying to tell him? That he was evil because of the monster that raged inside him? Well, yeah. That was old news. Way to go conscience. Way to state the obvious.

_How do you know that it is Elena that Klaus is really after? Maybe it's you, and he's using Elena to get to you, not the other way around._

He didn't know. That was the problem. Damon wasn't sure what Klaus was planning, and he wasn't sure how he fit into Klaus's plan. But there was one thing Damon was sure of, and that was that he could not leave Elena's side now. Even if it meant that he was bringing Klaus back to Mystic Falls. The only way he could assure that Klaus didn't get Elena, if that was indeed his goal, was to stay and fight for her safety.

"Whoa." Caroline's eyes widened. "Someone doesn't look too happy."

Elena and Bonnie turned to see a scowling Damon standing in the doorway of the Grill. His body language clearly said that he was on a mission. His eyes scanned the crowd, pausing briefly on Elena and her friends, before settling on Tyler and Jeremy. He walked toward the girls' table, where he smiled and leaned over to kiss Elena's cheek.

"Girls."

"What's going on, Damon?" Elena stared at him. She could tell that his smile had been forced. His eyes were guarded again, and the kiss had definitely been lacking in emotion. Something else was on his mind. His eyes drifted back to the boys at the pool table.

"I need to talk with your brother." He glanced at Caroline. "And since you're just going to listen in anyway, come on." He turned and stalked off in Jeremy's direction.

"Um, okay." Caroline stood and looked at Elena, who shrugged. Caroline hurried after Damon.

Elena and Bonnie watched as Damon approached Jeremy and Tyler. As soon as Damon began to speak both boys and Caroline stiffened. Elena saw shock register on Tyler and Jeremy's faces before they quickly covered it up. Elena's stomach began to churn with dread.

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this, Elena," Bonnie said.

"Me too." She started to stand up. "Let's go find out what's going on."

"Wait." Bonnie gripped her arm. "If he wanted us to know he would have ordered us to follow him over there like he did Caroline. Maybe we should wait."

"Bonnie, there's something wrong. You and I both know that. Why else would Damon be talking with them?"

"Sure, but maybe it has something to do with what's going on with Jeremy. Obviously Jeremy doesn't want me to know what's going on with him." Bonnie shrugged. "And maybe he doesn't want you to know because he knows you'll tell me."

"But then why include Caroline? She's got a bigger mouth than anyone."

"True. But you heard Damon; she was going to listen in anyway."

Elena stared at her friend as she considered what Bonnie was saying. It did kind of make sense. And Damon wouldn't keep anything important from her now right? Surely he would be more honest with her now that they were together.

"Okay. I'll wait." Elena sat back down. But she watched the scene by the pool table closely. "For you."

"Thanks." Bonnie sighed in relief.

As Elena and Bonnie watched Caroline stepped closer to Tyler and gripped his hand in hers, confirming Elena's suspicion. Whatever Damon was discussing with them was bad. And she was pretty sure that it had something to do with her.

"Crap," Bonnie said quietly. "I have a feeling this is about more than Jeremy." She turned her deep brown eyes to Elena, who nodded. "This is going to be bad, isn't it?"

"Isn't it always?"

When the group broke up by the pool table, Elena watched as Damon and Jeremy walked back towards her and Bonnie. Although their voices were low, they were clearly arguing.

"Something is going on," Elena said as a brooding Jeremy sat down at the table. He avoided looking at her. She looked up at Damon, who stood beside her chair. "What is it?"

Damon took her hand and pulled her up from her chair. "Now that I've gotten that out of the way I can greet you properly." He pulled her against him and claimed her mouth with his own.

Elena wanted to stay strong, to not let herself get distracted from the fact that he was keeping something from her, but the second his mouth met hers everything else but Damon fled her mind. Sighing, she opened her mouth to welcome his tongue. His hand tangled in her hair, holding in place as his mouth thoroughly ravaged hers. When he finally broke away, both of their chests were heaving. There was a renewed sense of apprehension in his eyes.

"Damon, I need you to tell me what is going on."

He grabbed her hand and turned towards the bar. "And I need a drink."


	13. Chapter 13

Darcy had Damon's glass of bourbon ready and waiting for him when he and Elena walked up to the bar. He thanked her, picked up the glass, and sipped while Elena quietly watched him. He knew she was waiting for an explanation. Although he wished he could wait until he had more information, he knew that Elena had a right to know what was going on.

"Elena, can I get you something to drink honey?" Darcy asked.

"Uh, no –"

"She'll have what I'm having." Damon glanced at Elena. "You're going to need it for this conversation."

"Sure thing." Darcy poured Elena a glass of bourbon and refilled Damon's empty glass. "So are you two together now?"

"Yep." Damon looked Darcy in the eyes and said quietly, "We had fun Darcy. But it's time you moved on."

"Okay." Darcy turned and walked away.

Sipping his drink, Damon considered what he was going to say to Elena. She deserved to know that she was in danger, but he also knew that any mention of Klaus was likely to send her over the edge. Klaus had gone out of his way to destroy Elena's life.

_You might as well tell her Damon. Klaus will come back regardless. But the real question is why is he coming? _

"Damon, I'm trying to be patient." Elena dutifully took a swallow of her drink.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to look into her anxious brown eyes. "You're in danger, Elena. I'm still working on the details, but you need to be on alert for anything suspicious."

"Okay." She reached out to cover his hand with hers. "Things will work out. I have you to protect me."

His throat tightened at her words. Elena finally had complete faith in him to protect her. So how could he possibly tell her that he might be the very reason she was in danger now?

"What's coming Damon?"

"I don't know exactly," he said quietly.

"I don't understand." She frowned. "How do you know I'm in danger if you don't know what the danger is, Damon?"

_You have to tell her. It's going to devastate her, but you have to tell her. Tell her that she's going to suffer greatly because of you._

Damon turned to look at Bonnie and Jeremy. Bonnie was crying against Jeremy's chest. Taking a deep breath, Damon told Elena about Jeremy's visits with Vicki and Anna. Eyes wide, Elena's gaze followed Damon's.

"So you're telling me that my brother has been conversing with ghosts?" Elena's gaze returned to Damon's. She raised her glass and gulped the rest of her bourbon. "And these ghosts are telling him that I'm in trouble? But they can't say what kind of trouble or when it's coming?"

"Yes."

Elena's mind raced. She was in danger, again. Something or someone was coming after her, again. Okay. She could deal with that. She was getting used to it. But what scared her was the turmoil she saw in Damon's eyes. For the first time since he'd waltzed into her life, he looked truly worried about whatever was coming their way.

When trouble came his way Damon Salvatore met it head on with anger and determination. He never doubted for a second that he would not conquer it. Failure was not option. So why did he look so worried this time?

"What aren't you telling me?" She crossed her arms across her chest. "Because the look in your eyes is telling me that there's more to this story. Tell me."

"Do you trust me, Elena?" Those blue eyes focused on hers, making the bar around them fade into the background.

"Implicitly." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. His arms hugged her against him as the kiss deepened.

Breaking the kiss, Damon whispered in her ear, "I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, Elena."

"I know that. Damon, do you trust me?" He nodded. "Then tell me everything you know." When he started to shake his head, she said, "Whatever it is I can handle it."

Minutes ticked by as Elena waited. Darcy refilled their drinks. Damon downed his in a single gulp. It was obvious that he was struggling with his decision. Then with a quick nod, he looked at her. "Klaus is planning on coming back to Mystic Falls, Elena."

"What?"

"And I think he's coming because of me." Damon stared at her. "Vicki and Anna told Jeremy that by being with you I am putting you in grave danger."

Gasping, Elena gripped the edge of the bar as she swayed. She wasn't sure if it was from the alcohol or the icy fear that washed over her. Klaus. Shaking her head, she said, "No. You don't know that for sure. Just because a couple of ghosts said that he's coming doesn't mean it's going to really happen."

"Elena." Damon looked at her with sorrow filled eyes. "I talked to him myself on the phone. Klaus is coming back. He knows you're alive. And apparently he has some type of plan that somehow involves me."

The taste of bile in the back of her throat sent Elena running to the bathroom. After she'd thrown up everything that was in her stomach, Elena splashed cold water on her face. Caroline and Bonnie came rushing into the bathroom as Elena stared at her pale, shaking reflection in the mirror.

"Elena, are you okay?" Caroline asked.

Shaking her head, Elena began to cry. She wasn't sure she could do this. She wasn't sure she could handle Klaus coming back to town. He'd done so many terrible things. He'd killed Jenna. He'd tried to kill Elena. He would have killed all of her friends if he could have. And he'd taken Stefan away.

But why would he come back? He'd gotten what he'd wanted. The curse had been broken. Why would he come back now?

_He has some type of plan that somehow involves me._

He was coming after Damon! Fear for him had her breath hitching in her chest. Klaus was a hybrid – half vampire and half werewolf. And now that he'd tapped into his werewolf side he was even more powerful than before. Damon didn't stand a chance against him.

_I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, Elena._

Damon would gladly die if it meant saving her life. The thought of losing Damon turned Elena's legs to rubber. Caroline caught Elena as she started to fall to the floor. Klaus had already taken Stefan away from her, and now he wanted to take Damon too!


	14. Chapter 14

**First I apologize for accidentally uploadeing the wrong chapter previously! Whoops! And I want to thank you all for reading and for your reviews and messages! I had no idea how much fun this would be! Anyway, I just want to let you know that I might not be able to update for a while. It all depends on the hurricane this weekend. The last time we had a hurricane we lost power for almost 2 weeks. Depending on the storm I will update as soon as I can! Thanks! :)**

Eyeing the women's bathroom door, Damon sipped his drink as he waited for Elena to come out. Thankfully, Caroline had seen Elena rush to the bathroom and grabbed Bonnie to follow Elena inside.

"So what's the plan?" Jeremy asked as he leaned against the bar next to Damon.

"Still working on it."

"What did you say to Elena that made her run off to the bathroom like that?" Jeremy nodded his head toward the bathroom. "What haven't you told us?"

Damon stared at Jeremy. He'd been planning on waiting to tell the rest of the group about Klaus later. But thanks to Elena's reaction, Damon knew he wasn't going to be able to put it off. Elena was probably telling Caroline and Bonnie right now.

"It's Klaus, Jeremy." Damon saw fear and anger flash in the teenager's eyes. "He's planning on returning to Mystic Falls."

Jeremy's eyes darted to Damon's left. "Anna's here. She's standing next to you."

Startled, Damon looked at the empty air beside him. There was a ghost standing right next to him? Weird.

"Ask her about Klaus's plan." Damon looked at Jeremy.

"She can hear you." Jeremy rolled his eyes. "She doesn't know what the plan entails, except that you are a big part of it."

"What's the use of being able to talk to ghosts if they can't tell you what you need to know?" Damon grumbled. "Anna, is Klaus coming after me? Elena?"

"Yes." Jeremy frowned. "He's after both of you. Both of you are important to his plan."

Gritting his teeth, Damon asked, "What plan? That's what I need to know."

Shrugging, Jeremy said, "She doesn't know."

"Who doesn't know what?" Elena asked as she and the other girls walked up to the bar.

Damon turned to look into her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Elena nodded and reached out to take his hand in hers. "I'm okay. It was a big shock, but I'm okay now." She smiled. "What are you two talking about?"

"Anna was answering some of Damon's questions." Jeremy looked at Bonnie, whose eyes widened. "She's gone now."

"So what are we going to do about Klaus?" Caroline asked.

Since he didn't really have an answer, Damon shrugged. "We'll have to discuss that later."

_And what are you going to do to protect her from yourself? _

"Damon, are you okay?" Elena asked as she and Damon drove back to his house. "You've barely said a word since we left the Grill."

"No I'm not okay, Elena. Klaus is putting together some type of plan to come after both of us. Not to mention the fact that he will be bringing both Katherine and Stefan back with him when he finally decides to blow into town. This is going to get really ugly."

Elena reached out and stroked his arm. "You don't have to worry about me and Stefan. He's with Katherine now."

He shot her a lopsided smile as he pulled into the drive. "No offense, but Stefan trying to get you back is the least of my worries right now."

Elena realized that he was worried about Stefan being dangerous because he was feeding on human blood again. She had to admit, the Stefan she'd seen in that video had been scary. She hadn't even recognized him. Damon had warned her it was going to be worse this time because it hadn't been too long ago that Stefan had been exposed to human blood. His body hadn't had enough time to adjust.

Cringing, Elena remembered the guilt she'd felt at being the one responsible for sending Stefan off the rails that time. In her defense she had been saving his life, but she had continued to carry the guilt of it around every day.

"Elena?"

Elena realized that he was waiting for her to get out of the car. She climbed out and followed him into the house. She sat on the couch and watched him disappear into the kitchen in search of a blood bag.

Elena was worried about Damon. She knew he was worrying about her, but what was really bothering her was that he was starting to pull away from her. She could feel the distance growing between them. She knew he was doing it to protect her, but it didn't make it easy. She needed him now more than ever. So she decided that she wasn't going to _let_ him pull away from her.

Damon came back into the room, carrying a glass of blood. He sat next to her on the couch. And then Elena made her move. She climbed over and straddled his lap. She took the glass from him and set it on the table.

"Elena –"

"Shhh." She pressed her finger against his lips and looked into his eyes. "I need you Damon." She pressed her mouth against his as her fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt.

As she thrust her tongue into his mouth she yanked his shirt down off of his shoulders and let her hands explore the sculpted planes of his stomach. God, he was perfect. Moaning into his mouth, she ground herself against the stiff bulge in his pants. With a growl, his hands were under her shirt, cupping her breasts as his thumbs rubbed her pebbled nipples.

Tearing her mouth from his, Elena reared back to pull her shirt over her head. His eyes, clouded with desire, slowly took in the sight of her bare breasts. Leaning forward, she fisted her hands in his black hair and brushed one nipple along his lips. He nipped it between his teeth, sending a pleasurable jolt straight to her center.

"God Elena you are so perfect," he whispered against her breast.

Her hands worked on the button of his pants. She leaned forward, kissing his neck, then his shoulder as he expertly undid her jeans and slid them down her hips. As she settled back onto his lap his hard, pulsing dick entered her slick, hot sex. They moaned in unison as she began to rock in a glorious rhythm that had them both panting within seconds.

She started out slow, but quickly picked up speed as she ached to get him inside her as deeply as possible. She needed to be as close to him as possible, to fully become his. She leaned over and pressed his mouth against her neck. He instantly stiffened and pulled back.

"No."

"Yes, Damon. Please," she gasped. His eyes locked on hers. "I want you to drink from me. I _need_ you to drink from me. Make me yours."

His eyes glowed and the veins beneath his eyes darkened and rippled under the skin. Watching his face change sent a triumphant shiver through her. She kissed his mouth, running her tongue along his fangs. His growl vibrated through her. Smiling, she pulled back and tilted her head to the side as she began to ride him harder.

When his fangs pierced the skin of her neck, she cried out from the fiery surge of pleasure it created. As he began to drink, she moaned as the sensation of her blood being pulled from her body sent her over the edge. As she crested Damon bucked beneath her, emptying himself into her.

He pulled away from her neck, and she collapsed against him, whispering "I love you, Damon Salvatore."


	15. Chapter 15

"Well isn't that sweet?"

In an instant Damon was on his feet and had Katherine pinned to the wall. "What the hell are you doing here?" He quickly looked around the room for Stefan and/or Klaus.

"I'm alone…for now," Katherine hissed. "Now let me go."

A hundred possible scenarios zipped through his mind, all of them resulting in Elena being hurt. Although she claimed to be alone, Damon knew better than to trust Katherine. It had been a hard lesson to learn, but one that he would never forget.

"Damon," Elena, now dressed, walked up and placed her hand on his arm. "She brought you the antidote, remember? Let her go so she can tell us why she's here."

Casting a glance at Elena, Damon said, "I don't trust her. How do I know that she's not lying about being alone? For all I know, Klaus and Stefan are waiting in the wings to take me down."

_She's right. Let Katherine go so she can speak. _

"Damon, please."

At the softly spoken words Damon's hand relaxed. Against his better judgment, he released Katherine. It had always been hard for him to deny Elena anything she asked; now it was damn near impossible.

"Wow." Katherine looked at Elena. "You're good." She turned to Damon. "I knew you were in love with her, but I had no idea you were this far gone."

"What are you doing here?" Damon demanded. He pulled Elena behind him, shielding her with his body. He still didn't trust Katherine.

"I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by to give you a little warning."

"Why?"

"I know you find this hard to believe, but I do still care about you." Katherine's brown eyes met his. "I want you to be happy Damon."

"Since when?"

"Since always." She reached out to stroke his cheek. His hand shot up to grip her wrist.

The urge to snap her arm was almost too tempting to resist. And for the first time in his life it had nothing to do with her betraying him. Katherine had finally won Stefan over, breaking Elena's heart, forever shattering her trust in Stefan. Damon knew firsthand how that felt, and he hated Katherine for making Elena go through that pain.

"Katherine, is Stefan okay?"

Damon froze as Elena's question washed over him. The concern in her voice made him want to rip Katherine's throat out simply because she happened to be standing in front of him. Jealousy raged through him.

_She'll always love him Damon. No matter what. There's nothing you can do to stop that. _

Arching an eyebrow, Katherine sent him a knowing look. It infuriated him that she still had the ability to read him so well. She and Elena had that in common, as well as their undying love for his brother.

"Yes, Katherine," Damon smirked. "Where is my dear brother? Has he finally tired of you?"

Laughing, Katherine said, "He will never tire of me. I keep him very well satisfied." She glanced at Elena, who inhaled sharply. "But that's not what I came to talk about." Her face became serious. "Stefan has run off. I am trying to find him before Klaus retaliates."

"Retaliates?" Elena glanced at Damon.

"By coming here." Katherine's gaze met Damon's, an unspoken understanding passing between them.

Klaus had agreed to let Damon live only if Stefan had agreed to travel the world with him. By running off, Stefan was giving Klaus permission to come back and kill Damon. And once Damon was out of the picture, he would probably go after Elena.

"Where is Klaus now?" Damon asked.

"At the moment, he is in Tennessee."

Tennessee was too close for Damon's liking. He had to do something. He couldn't just sit by and wait for Klaus to come to Mystic Falls. He could go after Klaus. But he didn't want to leave Elena behind to fend for herself. And he couldn't risk Elena by taking her with him. There was no telling what Klaus would do to her.

_Do it Damon. Go after Klaus. _

Elena watched Damon's reaction to Katherine's revelation carefully. He was so still, so quiet, that it scared her. Elena knew that while he appeared to be okay on the outside, inside a dangerous storm of emotions was roaring. She stepped forward and took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

Elena looked at Katherine, who was watching Damon's eyes closely. It was clear that Katherine also understood Damon well. A wave of jealously crashed over Elena as she fought the urge to slap Katherine. Elena hated the fact that this woman had any form of a connection with Damon.

"Thank you for warning us," Elena said tightly. "But you need to leave now."

Katherine said nothing. She simply stared into Damon's eyes for a few more seconds. And then she nodded and turned to make her way to the door. "Be careful Damon."

The audacity of this woman infuriated Elena. Who did Katherine think she was coming in here and acting like she cared about Damon? Katherine had already taken Stefan away from Elena. And Elena would be damned if she was going to let Katherine do the same thing with Damon.

"Katherine?" Elena stepped toward her mirror image, who halted and turned to face Elena.

Jealousy, pure and simple, propelled Elena's arm through the air. Elena felt a burst of satisfaction with the sharp sting that radiated through her palm as it connected with Katherine's cheek.

"That is for Stefan." Elena slapped her again. "That is for Damon."

"You bitch!" Katherine gasped and stepped toward Elena. In a blur Damon was between the two women, shoving Katherine away from Elena.

"No." Elena glared around Damon. "You're the bitch, Katherine. Now get out of here. And stay away from Damon."

Sputtering a laugh, Katherine glanced at Damon. "She's got the Petrova fire in her. No wonder you love her." And then she was gone.

"Ow." Elena shook her stinging hand.

Damon turned and took her hand in his. He brought it to his mouth and gently pressed his lips against her palm. Then he pulled her against him and crushed his mouth against hers. Elena gladly opened her mouth, accepting his domination as his tongue wrestled with hers.

Pulling away from her, Damon smiled. "God, that was hot." Damon arched an eyebrow at her. "Jealous much?"

"When it comes to you? Very much." Elena leaned over and kissed his lips once more. "I had no idea just how much until now."

"I can't believe you slapped her. Twice!" Shaking his head, Damon gripped her hand and pulled her toward the door. "We have to go. It's not safe for you here."

Frowning, Elena realized he was right. Since she had officially died by human terms, the protection didn't work on the house anymore. As they walked to his car, Elena realized Damon was on his cell phone.

"Is it done?" Damon's words were short, clipped, and all business. Not a good sign.

"Who are you talking to?" Elena climbed into the passenger seat.

Waving her off, Damon said, "Good. We're on our way back. There's been a sudden change in plans. See you in a few."

"Damon, where are we going? Who was that? What plan are you talking about?"

"We're going back to your house. And that was Alaric."

Unease furled in her stomach. It was never a good sign when Alaric and Damon were working together. "Damon, what's going on? What have you done?"

"I'm trying to keep you safe, Elena." He glanced at her. "Remember when I said I would do whatever it takes to keep you safe? I meant it."


	16. Chapter 16

As he parked his car in Elena's driveway, Damon swallowed nervously. He knew that what he was about to do was going to be the most difficult thing he'd ever done in his life. And he just hoped that Elena would understand that he didn't have a choice.

"Elena." He said hoarsely, his throat thick with emotion. "I have something for you."

She turned in her seat to watch as he pulled a small box from the inside pocket of his leather jacket. Taking a deep breath, he opened the box and gently parted the silk handkerchief inside. Grasping the delicate chain between his fingers, he slowly pulled the necklace from the box.

"Oh, Damon." Elena took the ivory cameo pendant in her palm. "It's beautiful."

"It was my mother's." Damon cleared his throat. He was surprised to find himself so emotional after all of this time. "After she died, I snuck into her jewelry box and took it. Nobody ever knew I had it. Not even Stefan."

"And you've kept it with you all of these years?" Elena smiled as tears fell from her eyes. "Oh, Damon. I can't take this. This means too much to you for you to give it to me."

"It's because it means so much to me that I want you to have it, Elena." He brushed a lock of her silky hair from her face. "I've never met someone more deserving of it than you. Lift your hair up so I can put it on you." She did as he asked, and once he'd clasped it around her neck he kissed her. "I love you, Elena Gilbert."

"I love you too!" She threw her arms around his neck.

His heart clenched as he got of the car and walked hand in hand with her up to the porch. He gazed into her happy, smiling face, basking in its radiance before he locked his emotions away. It was time.

The front door swung open and Alaric filled the doorway. He nodded at Damon and stepped back. "It's done. The deed is in my name."

"Good. Is everyone else here?" He gently propelled Elena inside the doorway.

"What are you talking about?" Elena looked at Alaric, then back at Damon. "What deed? What's going on?"

"Jenna made me guardian of you and Jeremy before she died," Alaric explained. "So now the house is in my name."

Damon saw the realization in Elena's eyes. "No. Damon come inside. I live here!" Elena cried. "I can invite you in!"

Shaking his head, Alaric said, "Technically you died. Jeremy too. You were both brought back to life using magic, so the permanent dwelling rule no longer applies. I'm the only one who can invite vampires inside. And I will not invite Damon inside until we know it's safe."

"Why are you doing this?" Elena asked as she rushed back onto the porch. She threw herself into Damon's arms. "I don't understand!"

"Shhh." Damon stroked her hair. "It's just until I'm sure that it's safe for you to be around me. Elena, I have to go." He said calmly, steeling himself against her reaction. "I have to go find Klaus, to talk to him, to see what he wants. And I can't take the risk of him compelling me to hurt you when I get back."

"No!" Elena shook her head. "Damon, you can't leave me! Please don't go!"

"I vowed to do whatever it takes to keep you safe." It was extremely difficult to keep his emotional wall intact when he saw the pain and fear reflected in Elena's eyes. He kissed her lips one last time before Alaric pried her off of him. He looked into her red, teary eyes and said, "I promise that I will do whatever it takes to come home to you. I promise. I love you, Elena. I'll see you soon."

He turned and walked back to his car. He climbed inside and watched as Alaric pulled Elena against his chest, trying to console her. And as Damon started the car and backed down the drive, he finally let his own tears fall.

Elena stared at the ceiling in her bedroom. Her head throbbed and her face was swollen from crying. After Damon had left her, she'd raced upstairs to lock herself in her bedroom. She'd thrown herself on her bed and cried herself to sleep.

When she'd woken up she'd hoped that it had all been a bad dream. But it hadn't. Damon had left her to run after Klaus. Of course she knew that he would come back. It hadn't been like Stefan, who'd just abandoned her completely. And Damon had promised to come back to her.

But it still hurt tremendously because she was so scared that Klaus would kill Damon. And then Klaus would probably come after her.

All of her friends were downstairs, ready to fight for her. But they would be no match for Klaus. They would all end up dying for her, because of her. Groaning in frustration, Elena tossed a pillow at the wall.

"Elena?" Caroline's voice was muffled by the door. "I know you're awake. Please unlock the door." When Elena didn't move, Caroline sighed. "Please don't make me have to break the doorknob. I'm sure you're going to want the door to work later on. You know, when Damon gets back."

Instead of making her laugh, Caroline's comment made her start to cry all over again. The odds of Damon coming home were slim.

"Come on, Elena," Caroline huffed. "Katherine is sitting in the tree outside your window so I need to see you to make sure you're okay."

"What?" Elena jumped up and unlocked the door before rushing to her bedroom window. It was true; Katherine was perched in the tree right outside her window.

"You can tell your wolf boy to relax, Elena. I'm not here to hurt you."

Elena glanced down at the ground underneath her window. Tyler was pacing back and forth.

"How do we know that?" Caroline said from beside Elena. "Why are you here?"

Rolling her eyes, Katherine examined the nails on her right hand. "I'm here to help watch over Elena while Damon runs off to try to meet up with Klaus."

"Why?" Elena frowned. "It wasn't that long ago that I slapped you, and you called me a bitch."

Caroline looked at Elena. "You slapped her?"

Elena nodded. "Twice."

"Nice!" Caroline grinned.

"Once for Stefan and once for Damon. Yeah, I remember." Katherine sighed as if she were bored. "I don't hate you Elena. We're kin."

"Ugh. Don't remind me," Elena muttered. "I thought I told you to stay away from Damon."

"I haven't seen him since then. Not that I'd listen to you anyway."

"Then when did you guys set up this little plan?"

"You were standing right there." Katherine smirked. "You're not the only one who can tell what he's thinking Elena. That's a gift you and I both share."

This didn't make sense. Why would Katherine be helping Damon? She'd already paid back her debt by bringing him the antidote. And then she'd warned them about Stefan being on the run. And now she was protecting Elena? It just didn't make any sense to Elena.

"Why are you helping us, Katherine?" Elena asked. "And don't tell me it's because you still care about Damon. Because that's just going to piss me off."

Katherine laughed. "I love your spunk, Elena. You remind me of myself when you get all jealous and snarky. That's probably why our Salvatore brothers love you. You remind them of me."

"Pfft. I am nothing like you Katherine." Elena closed the window and the curtains. She looked at Caroline, who was now sitting on Elena's bed. "This sucks."

"Yep." Caroline scooted over so Elena could sit down next to her. "So what's with the new necklace? Did Damon give it you?"

Reaching up to touch the cameo, Elena smiled. She wasn't going to tell anyone that it had belonged to Damon's mother. "Yeah. Right before he left."

"It's pretty." Caroline put her arm around Elena's shoulders. "He's going to come back, Elena. Damon will do anything for you."

"That's the problem, Care."


	17. Chapter 17

As Damon drove away from Mystic Falls he berated himself. He hated leaving Elena behind. But he had done everything he could think of to keep her safe while he was gone. No vampires, himself included, could get into the house. Caroline, Tyler, Alaric, Bonnie and Jeremy were all staying at the house. And if he was right about Katherine, she was also keeping an eye on Elena while he was gone.

_But can you trust Katherine? Why is she being so nice and cooperative all of a sudden?_

"I've given up trying to figure her out," Damon muttered. He'd come to accept the fact that Katherine did whatever she wanted. He could only hope that she had been telling the truth when she'd said she'd wanted him happy. Elena made him happy.

And as much as he hated to admit it, Damon knew he and Katherine still shared some weird connection with one another. He guessed they always would. That's why he was about eighty percent sure Katherine was keeping watch over Elena for him. He'd seen that look of understanding in her eyes.

Damon knew he was taking a risk by leaving, but if Klaus was in Tennessee then Damon had to try to keep him from making it to Mystic Falls. The only problem was that he wasn't sure how he was going to keep Klaus from coming. Damon didn't know how to kill him.

_Bargains go a long way._

Damon snorted. Except for Elena, he had nothing that Klaus would want. And that was not happening. There was no way he was going to give Elena to him. No. Way.

_What about yourself? He already has Stefan. Maybe Klaus wants you both. _

Well that didn't make sense. What would Klaus want with him? Damon could understand Stefan. Stefan on human blood was a spectacular thing to witness. Damon could fully understand the enjoyment someone like Klaus would get out of watching Stefan reek havoc on the human race.

The ringing of his phone brought Damon out of his thoughts. He expected it to be Elena's number on the screen, but it wasn't. "Shit." He hit the speaker button. "What?"

Klaus laughed. "Well hello to you too Damon. Did you enjoy your little visit from Katherine? I'm sure she ran right to you to warn you about your brother. Just like you are running straight to Tennessee to me, right?"

"It's time to talk about this – whatever this is – face to face."

"Not yet, my friend. Not quite yet. I'm still having too much fun. You're so easy to manipulate when it comes to Elena. Actually, it borders on pathetic."

Anger boiled in Damon's gut. The urge to kill something clawed at him. But he knew he couldn't lose control now. He needed to channel all of this hatred toward Klaus. That way the satisfaction of killing him would be so much more fulfilling. Once Damon figured out how to do it.

"I thought you might like to know that your brother reappeared after all." Klaus whispered, "I sent him after Katherine."

Slamming the brakes, Damon lurched in the driver's seat as his car jerked to a sudden, teeth rattling stop. "SON OF A BITCH!" Klaus's laughter filled the car as Damon pulled a violent u-turn on two wheels.

The phone disconnected as Damon pressed the accelerator to the floorboard. How had he not seen this coming? He'd vowed NOT to leave Elena because he'd been afraid something like this would happen! What had he been thinking, leaving her behind? How could he have been so stupid?

_Klaus is right. You're too easily manipulated when it comes to Elena. _

"Shut up!" Damon yelled. He quickly dialed Alaric's number. After he'd warned him he called Katherine.

"Yes, Damon. I am sitting outside of your precious Elena's bedroom window. It's boring as hell I might add." Katherine answered.

"Stefan is on his way there."

"Of course he is."

"Damn it Katherine." Damon gritted his teeth. "I want you to call Stefan and send him to our house. I don't want him near Elena's."

Katherine laughed. "And why should I do what you want?"

"The same reason you're sitting in that tree right now. You claim you want be to be happy. Prove it." When Damon was met with silence he continued, "Besides, do really want to risk letting Stefan see her again? After all, Elena is the one we all really love."

"Well played, Damon Salvatore, well played."

The phone clicked in his ear, and Damon let out the breath he'd been holding in a whoosh. Thank goodness Katherine was still as insecure as he was when it came to Stefan and Elena.

Elena was in the kitchen getting a glass of water when she heard the front door open. The plan had been for Tyler to stay outside to keep an eye on Katherine. Frowning, she made her way into the living room.

"What do you mean she left?" Alaric asked.

Tyler shrugged. "She got a phone call and left in a hurry."

"Well who called?" Caroline asked.

When Tyler glanced in her direction, Elena's heart flipped in her chest. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him. "Well, there's three people it could have been. Just tell us which one it was."

"Damon."

Closing her eyes against the stab of jealousy, Elena tried to reassure herself that the reason Damon was calling Katherine was to discuss Klaus. Or Stefan. That was all.

"What did she say?" Alaric asked.

"It sounded like Damon was trying to get her to do something. She was reluctant at first, but then she said 'well played, Damon Salvatore, well played.' Then she called Stefan." Tyler's eyes met Elena's. "She told him that she was waiting at the Salvatore house for him, and that she had Elena with her. And then she took off."

Elena gasped. "Stefan's here? What about Klaus?" Her heart raced as she started for the door, but Tyler stepped in front of her.

"No way," Tyler said. "Katherine said to not let you leave the house."

"But I have to go! If Damon knows Stefan is here then he's on his way back! Please! They'll try to kill each other! And if Klaus is here too, he'll kill Damon!" Elena sobbed. "I have to go stop him!"

"No way, Elena." Jeremy came and wrapped his arms around her. "You're not going near him."

"Wait." Tyler and Caroline both looked toward the front door. "Someone's out there."

Everyone in the room jumped up to surround Elena. Her stomach knotted as she waited for Klaus to kick the door in. This was it. He'd created a distraction for Stefan, Damon and Katherine and was now making his move for her. Terrified that she was about to watch everyone she loved die, Elena tried to push her way to the front of the group.

"Stop it, Elena," Bonnie hissed. "You are not stepping a single foot out of this house."

There was a knock on the door. "Elena?"

"Stefan?" Elena swallowed against the lump in her throat. He was here. He'd come home. Overwhelmed by so many different emotions, Elena fell back against Jeremy. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to be feeling right now.

"Elena, please open the door. I just want to talk."

"Tyler please open the door." When Tyler started to protest, Elena said, "He can't get inside. But I need to talk to him. I need to see him."

After Alaric nodded, Tyler opened the door. Elena's breath hitched as she found herself face to face –well as close as she could be with five other people standing between them - with the boy she'd promised to love forever. His hair was a little bit longer and he was dressed in all black, complete with a leather jacket and boots. Even his stance was different. For the first time ever, Elena could see the resemblance between the brothers, and it had nothing to do with looks.

When she looked into Stefan's green eyes, Elena shivered at the hardness she saw. She had expected him to be different, but not this different. It felt like she was looking into the eyes of a complete stranger.

"Where's Damon?" Stefan asked.

"Seriously?" Anger welled in Elena as she pushed her way to the front of the group. "That is what you're going to say when you see me for the first time since you left without so much as a goodbye?"

"Damon's supposed to be watching over you."

"You are unbelievable. Tell me something Stefan." Elena hugged herself. "Did I mean so little to you that I didn't even deserve an explanation?"

Heaving a sigh, Stefan shrugged. "It had to be done Elena. And there wasn't time to tell you goodbye. Besides, you were a little preoccupied with _my brother_, were you not?" His eyes narrowed and his jaw twitched.

"I thought he was dying Stefan."

"And now?" Elena cringed at Stefan's sneer. "Tell me Elena. Just how long did it take you to jump into my brother's bed?'

While everyone around them gasped, Elena shook her head. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her upset, even though his words stung. "I don't know Stefan. How long did it take you to jump into bed with Katherine?"


	18. Chapter 18

When Katherine had called to tell him that Stefan wasn't at the Salvatore house, Damon had been right outside of town. He'd ditched his car on the side of the road and chosen to rely on his vamp speed instead.

Of course Stefan would have seen right through Damon's plan and gone on to Elena's house anyway. That was exactly what Damon would have done himself if the situation had been reversed.

As he ran into the yard, he heard Elena say "I don't know Stefan. How long did it take you to jump into bed with Katherine?"

Stefan whirled to face Damon as soon as he stepped onto the porch. "Hello brother."

The irony of Stefan's words weren't lost on Damon, who smirked and decided to play along. "Stefan. What are you doing here?"

"Damon!" Elena lunged toward the door, but her friends held her back.

Although he tried to cover it up, Damon noticed the quick flash of hurt on Stefan's face as he heard the relief in her voice as Elena called out to Damon. But then Stefan's eyes quickly narrowed on Damon.

"I guess you're happy with the way things have turned out." Stefan sneered at him. "You finally got my girlfriend into your bed."

Damon shrugged. "You left."

"You know I had to." Stefan turned to look at Elena. "It was the only way to get Klaus away from Elena."

_Ha. You should have known better. He didn't care about saving you. It was all about Elena. _

Ignoring the damn voice, Damon glared at his brother. "And here I thought you actually cared about me."

Stefan shrugged. "I cared about you surviving so that you could take care of Elena. I knew she'd probably end up in your bed. That was a risk I was willing to take. However, I didn't expect it to happen so quickly. But I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. She is related to Katherine, after all."

Damon looked over Stefan's shoulder at Elena. She was looking at Stefan, her hand covering her mouth, shaking her head, her brown eyes filling with tears. And that was all it took to unleash Damon's fury.

Roaring, he launched himself at Stefan, who easily caught him and turned to toss him into the wall of the house. Damon had forgotten how strong Stefan was on human blood. He was quickly reminded when Stefan landed on him and wrapped his hands around Damon's throat. Damon gathered all of his strength and pushed Stefan. Hard. To his surprise, Stefan flew through the air. But Damon didn't waste any time jumping up and racing over to pounce on Stefan.

As they rolled across the porch in a blur, they plowed through the railing and tumbled onto the grass. Pain flared in Damon's stomach. Elena screeched his name. Rolling off of Stefan, he looked down to see one of the porch spindles lodged in his gut. He yanked it out and jumped up to find Stefan wielding another one.

Eyes glowing, Stefan came at Damon again. They fought over the wooden spindle, taking turns stabbing each other, as they tumbled around the yard in a blur. With each piercing stab, Damon's anger grew, feeding off of the pain that seared through him. The urge to kill was overwhelming. And suddenly, Damon found himself on top of Stefan, his arm ready to plunge the stake through Stefan's heart.

_That's right Damon. Kill him. Kill your brother. _

Damon paused as he realized he was about to kill his own brother. And then he heard the cracking of bone as his left arm burned. Stefan had twisted it behind his back until it snapped. Rolling onto the ground in agony, Damon clutched at his broken arm.

Stefan laughed and towered over him with the stake in his hand. Swinging his body around, Damon kicked Stefan's feet out from under him and grabbed the stake with his good hand.

_Go for it Damon. Do it._

Damon raised the stake in the air.

Elena wrenched herself out of Jeremy's arms and launched herself past Tyler and out onto the porch. Everyone yelled her name, but fear gave her the speed she desperately needed to evade their hands. She had to get to Damon and Stefan before someone got really hurt.

"Stop!" Caroline appeared in front of Elena and grabbed her by the shoulders. "What are you doing? You can't go down there."

"I have to stop this!" Elena looked into her friend's eyes. "Please, Caroline."

Katherine's desperate voice screaming Damon's name had both Caroline and Elena turning back to the scene that was unfolding on the lawn. Elena's heart stopped at the sight of Damon holding the wooden spindle above Stefan. Damon was going to kill Stefan right in front of her. She could see his intent written on his face.

"Damon no!" Katherine threw herself over Stefan's body. The spindle that was meant for Stefan's chest plunged into Katherine's shoulder.

Gasping in shock, Elena's hands covered her mouth. Damon had actually tried to kill Stefan. She couldn't believe it. She had never thought that Damon could actually be capable of killing his own brother. Apparently she had been wrong.

As Elena slowly started to walk backwards toward the house she watched as Stefan jumped up and snatched Damon by the front of his shirt. Katherine grabbed Stefan by the arm, pleading with him not to hurt Damon.

"Step back Katherine!" Stefan hissed as he looked Damon in the eye. With a shove, he sent Katherine sprawling on the ground. "I can't believe you were actually going to stake me. I should kill you right now."

"Stefan, you know you can't do that." Katherine said, picking herself up from the ground.

"Do it." Damon glared into his brother's eyes. "Kill me, Stefan."

"No!" Elena rushed forward to push herself in between the brothers. "Stop it! Please! What is going on with you two? You don't really want to kill each other! I know you don't."

Stefan released Damon and stepped back. Katherine gripped his arm. "Stefan. It's time for us to leave. We're done here."

And then the realization hit Elena. This had been part of Klaus's plan the entire time. "This is what Klaus wanted isn't it?" Elena looked at Katherine. "He wanted them to fight."

"Let's go Stefan." Katherine took Stefan's hand and then they were gone, leaving a baffled Elena and Damon staring after them.

"Go back to the house, Elena." Damon's voice was flat, completely devoid of emotion. He turned away from her.

"Where are you going?"

"Away from here." He turned away. "Caroline, take her back inside and keep her there." In a blur he disappeared into the night.

Elena stood frozen in place. She wasn't even sure how she was supposed to feel right now. Stefan hadn't come back for her. He'd come back because Klaus had sent him to provoke Damon. But why? And Damon…

"Elena, let's go back inside." Caroline put her arm around Elena's shoulders.

"Oh God," Elena gasped. Damon had almost killed Stefan. If it hadn't been for Katherine, Stefan would be dead right now. Although Damon and Stefan talked about killing each other all of the time, Elena had never really believed that either one of them was capable of doing it. But the look she'd seen in Damon's eyes as he'd stabbed Katherine had told her differently.

The look of detachment wasn't unfamiliar to her; Elena had seen it often when he'd killed people before. While it was easy for him to flip the switch, so to speak, on his emotions when it came to people Elena had never thought that Damon could do it when it came to Stefan. She'd see him try it before, but he'd never succeeded until today. And it scared her.

Elena let Caroline guide her back into the house and over to the couch. The air around them was thick with shock and anticipation. They were all waiting to see Elena's reaction to the horrifying scene they'd all just witnessed.

"I'm going to my room." Elena stood up and walked numbly up the stairs. She entered her bedroom, and then turned to go into the bathroom. She closed the door and turned on the water. Then she pulled out her cell phone to scroll through the list of numbers. Taking a deep breath, she raised the phone to her ear with a shaking hand.

"Elena. What a nice surprise." Klaus's voice sent a terrified chill through Elena.

"What do you want?"

"How did your little reunion with Stefan go?" Klaus asked, confirming Elena's suspicion about Stefan's visit.

"What do you want with Damon? Please just leave him alone."

"Elena, Stefan is supposed to be the one you truly love. Why aren't you bargaining for his release?"

"Stefan left me. And he slept with Katherine. He made his choice. And now I'm making mine. Klaus, I'm begging you. You've already taken so much from me. Please leave Damon alone."

"The whole situation is fascinating, Elena. What is it about Damon Salvatore that makes everyone so eager to save him? You, Stefan, Katherine." The line crackled with silence as Klaus paused. "Have any of you even stopped to consider the fact that Damon doesn't want to be saved?"

"Everyone wants to be saved, whether they admit it or not." Elena gritted her teeth. "Klaus, please. I'm begging you. I will do anything you want."

"Hmm. So tempting. I will be in touch."


	19. Chapter 19

Damon watched the two girls from the alleyway beside nightclub. It was late. The street was deserted. Leaning back against the wall of the building he blended into the shadows. His breathing was slow and quiet as he watched the one girl stumble. The heel broke on her shoe.

"Shit." The blonde slurred as her friend tried to support her weight.

"Damn Amber." The friend giggled. "That sucks. I loved those shoes."

"Me too."

_Go for it, Damon. They're right there, ripe for the taking. You know you want them. You know you need them._

Unable to deny it, Damon shoved away from the wall. He'd made so many bad decisions tonight, what was one more? Deep down he knew he was going to kill tonight. He also knew that nothing was going to be able to stop him. Not even the thought of Elena. His emotions were too strong, uncontrollable.

He was making stupid decisions because he was letting his emotions get the best of him. He had to regain control of them. And there was only one way he knew how. And that was by unleashing them in a storm of anger and killing. Only then could he reign his emotions back in.

He'd almost killed his brother tonight. Never in a million years had Damon thought that he was actually capable of killing his little brother. As much as he hated him, Stefan was his brother. The only family he had left.

And he'd almost _killed_ him.

And in front of Elena, no less. He could only imagine what she'd thought about him at that moment. He'd been too shocked to look at her, too scared to see the disappointment in her eyes.

When he'd seen Katherine, bleeding, lying across Stefan, Damon had seen Elena's death staring him in the face. It had terrified him because it could have easily been Elena that he'd staked. What if he lost control of himself like that around Elena?

_The only sure way to keep Elena safe is for you to stay away from her, Damon. You know that. She probably won't want anything else to do with you now anyway. _

"Hey there." Damon shot a smoldering look in the direction of the girls.

"Oh!" The brunette gasped as she let go of her friend. "You scared me."

"It looks like you could use some help." Damon offered his arm to the wobbling blonde. Smiling, she used his arm to straighten herself. "Come sit here on this stoop, and I will snap the other heel off for you."

"Um, okay."

He led the blonde to the stoop, where she sat down. The anger bubbled inside him. He gazed into her green eyes. "Sit right here and wait for me to come back."

"Okay."

Standing, Damon turned to look at the brunette. "What's your name, honey?"

"Nicole."

Releasing his hold on the anger raging within him, Damon's fangs extended and his face changed. "Run Nicole. Now!"

Screaming, Nicole took off down the quiet street in a frantic, drunken run. And Damon chased her. He grabbed her, pulling her into another dark alley. She cried, she pleaded, she screamed. Tearing into her neck, relishing the way his teeth ripped through her fragile flesh, he greedily drank her blood, enjoying its warmth as it poured down his throat. When her body finally went limp in his arms, Damon tossed her into a nearby dumpster before returning for her friend.

Amber was waiting dutifully on the stoop where he'd left her. But a man was trying to get her to stand up. Damon moved soundlessly as he came up behind the man. He grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. When the man saw Damon's bloody, vein filled face his eyes widened with terror. That terror sent a glorious thrill of excitement through Damon. With a quick jerk of his hands, he'd snapped the man's neck and let his body fall to the ground.

"Oh my God!" Amber stared at the dead man on the ground in front of her. Then she looked up at Damon. "You're going to kill me aren't you?"

"Yes."

She screamed as Damon pounced on her.

Unable to sleep, Elena had tossed and turned most of the night. She hadn't been able to get the image of Damon standing over Stefan, about to stake him, out of her mind. The Damon she knew would never have done that. For the first time ever, Elena was starting to believe that she could possibly be putting herself in danger by being with Damon. What if he turned on her like that?

As she watched the drizzling rain swirl against her bedroom window, Elena's hand went to the pendant resting against her chest. Her fingers gently caressed the ivory cameo. A sense of calmness washed over her. And she knew deep in her heart that there was no way the same person who had held onto this little piece of his mother for so many years could possibly hurt the person he truly loved.

"Are you okay?" Jeremy asked from the doorway.

"Of course I'm not, Jer. Would you be?"

"I guess not." He came into the room and sat on the edge of her bed. "Elena, I am really scared for you right now. Stefan was so evil. And Damon…"

He looked away.

"Jeremy, Damon would never hurt me." Elena grabbed his hand. "He loves me."

"I know. We talked about it."

Well, okay then. Apparently Bonnie had been right when she'd said that Damon and Jeremy had some type of friendship going on. Elena was shocked that Damon would talk to anyone about his feelings for her, especially her brother.

Looking at her brother's face, she realized something was going on with him. "What's wrong, Jeremy?"

"Damon told me to do whatever I can to keep you here, to keep you safe. But…" He paused. "I think he needs you right now. Last night had to have been rough for him. I mean, he almost killed his own brother." He sighed. "So I feel like no matter what I do, I'm letting him down."

Elena didn't know what to say. Jeremy was genuinely worried about Damon. Since she couldn't speak, she hugged her brother instead. He hugged her back.

"I called him, Elena." Jeremy smirked. "He didn't answer, but I left a message telling him either he comes here to talk to you or I'm busting you out of here to come look for him."

Elena smiled as her phone began to ring. She plucked it from the bedside and was surprised to see Katherine's name. "Katherine?" Hushing Jeremy, Elena stood and began to pace the room.

"Is Damon there?"

Stomach clenching, Elena said, "No. He left last night right after you and Stefan did."

"We came back to the Salvatore house last night. Anyway, he didn't come home, Elena."

Elena's legs trembled, almost sending her to knees. Jeremy jumped up and gripped her arm. "What? Where do you think he is?" When Katherine was silent, Elena asked, "And Klaus?"

"He's not answering his phone."

Breaths coming in short gasps, Elena said, "We have to find him, Katherine. Please. If you ever cared about Damon at all please help me find him."

"You're not going anywhere, Elena," Katherine said. "Besides, we don't know for sure that Klaus is coming after Damon."

"I do. He pretty much admitted that he's not backing down when it comes to Damon last night when I called him."

"You called Klaus?" The disbelief in Katherine's voice bordered on admiration. "You are something. Listen, I have an idea. The last time Damon went on a bender which direction did he go?"

"He went north of town. Why?"

"I will find him, Elena." The phone clicked in Elena's ear.

"What the hell is going on?" Jeremy demanded.

"Is Bonnie here?" Elena's hand went to the pendant around her neck. When Jeremy nodded, Elena ran out of the room, yelling Bonnie's name. Jeremy ran after her.

"What is it Elena?" Bonnie met them at the bottom of the stairs. "What's wrong?"

"I need you to do a spell to help me find Damon." Elena took the necklace from around her neck. "No arguments, Bonnie. I need your help now."

Nodding, Bonnie went to her bag and began pulling out candles. Jeremy appeared with a bowl of water from the kitchen. And then they formed a circle and watched as Bonnie dipped her fingers into the water and then took Elena's necklace in her hands.

"Whoa." Bonnie looked at Elena with wide eyes. Then she closed her eyes and began chanting. The flames of the candles flared and Bonnie's hair gently blew around her face. She opened her eyes. "He's at a Holiday Inn about forty miles south of town."

"We're going." Elena stood up.

"Elena – " Alaric blocked her path.

"It's Damon, Ric!" Elena yelled as Bonnie clasped the necklace back around Elena's neck. "We have to get to him before Klaus does!"

Alaric stared into her eyes. "Elena, you have to stay here where you're safe."

"I'll be safer if we stick together."

"She's right." Tyler said. "Who's to say Klaus won't show up here if half of us run off after Damon? There's strength in numbers."

"No way. It's not happening. I am not letting you leave this house, Elena. Damon will kill me." He turned to Bonnie, who nodded.

"No." Elena shook her head. "Not again!"

"It's for your own good Elena." Bonnie said weakly.


	20. Chapter 20

Stepping off of the elevator, Damon looked around the lobby. He felt energized, yet exhausted at the same time. He'd had his fill of both blood and killing last night, but there was still a restlessness gnawing at his insides. And he wasn't sure why.

After killing the two girls and that guy outside of the club he'd hit a couple of other clubs, killing several more people. He'd finally ended up at the hotel, where he'd picked up a couple of girls in the elevator. They were still passed out in their room. He'd left them weak, but alive. Of course they wouldn't remember a thing about him.

"Hey there handsome." The lady behind the check in counter smiled at him. "You looking for someone?"

"Not really." Damon smirked as he walked over to rest his arms on the counter. "Just left someone. Two someones actually."

"Oh. Too bad. I was getting ready to go on my break." She stuck her lower lip out in a pout.

"Well, in that case how about we go get a coffee or something?" Damon reached out to stroke her lip with his thumb. And when he looked into her brown eyes, he was instantly reminded of the set of brown eyes he'd left behind.

Elena. The thought of her still made his breath catch in his chest. He had ruined any chance with her now. He'd killed. He'd had sex with other women. And he'd almost killed Stefan. There was no way Elena would forgive him now. He wasn't even sure he could forgive himself.

_You're embracing your true self Damon. You knew you could never be what she wanted you to be. Admit it, last night was fun. You enjoyed it. All of it. The blood. The screams. The pain. The sex. This is who you are Damon. _

"Hey, are you okay?"

Damon focused on the woman in front of him. Her name tag said her name was Donna. "I'm sorry, Donna. I'm going to have to take a rain check after all." He turned around and walked outside into the dreary misty rain that was swirling outside.

His leather jacket felt too tight. Rolling his shoulders he looked around the parking lot. The back of his neck was prickling, as if someone were watching him. His chest hurt. It was getting difficult to breathe.

What the hell was going on? The image of Elena filled his mind. He collapsed against the brick wall of the building, clutching his chest, gasping for air. A slide show of Elena flashed through his mind. Her smile. Her eyes. Her hair. Her lips. Her skin. In one night he'd lost it all.

No. He hadn't _lost_ it. He'd _thrown_ it away. And for what? One night of indulgence?

_One night of being yourself. _

"Fuck off!" Damon growled. "Why are you torturing me?" Leaning forward, he gripped his head in his hands. A surge of anger fiercer than any he'd ever felt in his life rushed through him. He straightened and punched the brick wall behind him. Brick and mortar exploded. The bones in his hand shattered.

Shocked, he looked down at his bleeding hand as it dripped onto the concrete beneath his feet. As he watched, he could feel the bones knitting back together. The bleeding slowed and his skin began to repair itself right before his eyes. In seconds, his hand was merely bruised. What the hell was going on? He'd always healed quickly thanks to his being a vampire, but never like this.

"Oh my God!" Donna rushed to his side. "Are you okay? What happened?" She looked at the blood on the ground then his hand that was now barely bruised. Frowning, her gaze met his.

Damon stared into her eyes. "Listen to me, Donna. Go on your break. Forget you saw me out here."

"Okay." She turned and went to her car, got inside and drove away.

"Well that was impressive." A voice that Damon had never expected to hear again said from behind him. "I never thought I'd see Damon Salvatore pass up such an opportunity."

Cringing, Damon slowly turned around. "Marissa."

Refusing to speak to anyone, Elena paced around her bedroom. Bonnie had set up another spell binding Elena to the house. There was no way she could leave. Not unless the spell was lifted. So she was stuck here, unable to go find Damon.

Elena could only hope that Katherine found Damon before Klaus did. She couldn't believe that she was actually relying on Katherine's help. But she had no choice. No one else could go after Damon. They were all too busy protecting her.

She'd begged and pleaded for Alaric and Caroline to go help Damon, but they'd steadfastly refused. They said they belonged here, with her. Damon could take care of himself.

Why did everyone keep saying that? Just because Damon was a vampire didn't make him invincible! He could die just like anybody else. How come nobody else seemed to understand that? Or maybe they did, and they just didn't care if Damon died.

Her phone chirped, signaling a text message. She picked it up. It was from Katherine. She was almost to the hotel. Stefan was with her. Elena frowned. She wasn't so sure that Stefan going after Damon was such a good thing. They had just tried to kill each other.

But maybe it was a good thing. Maybe Stefan had been just as shaken up by the whole incident as Damon was. Maybe it was enough to pull him back from the depths of hell that Klaus had forced him into.

Shuddering, Elena remembered the look of disgust on Stefan's face the night before when he'd confronted her about Damon. She had honestly never thought that Stefan had it in him to be downright hateful like that. He had been vicious, spiteful, and cruel.

How could Elena have misjudged Stefan so badly? She'd always believed that he'd had a heart of gold. But if the human blood brought out was truly inside a person, then she had been dead wrong about Stefan. How could that be?

And if she'd been so wrong about Stefan then what if she were wrong about Damon, too? After all, he had almost staked Stefan. His own brother. What did that say about Damon? And what did it say about her that she cared so much?

Because Elena knew that Damon would never forgive himself if he killed Stefan. Even if they hated each other, they were family. The necklace around Elena's neck told her that that meant something to Damon. So why would he try to kill Stefan?

"Elena?" Bonnie said from the doorway. "I know you're mad at me, but can I come in?"

Scowling, Elena shrugged. "Why?"

Nodding her head at the pendant resting against Elena's chest, Bonnie said, "Do you have any idea what that necklace means?"

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Elena immediately grasped the pendant. "Damon gave it to me."

"I know." Bonnie came in to sit beside her. "Elena, there is a lot of love in that necklace. The power of it is overwhelming. It almost knocked me off my feet when I touched it downstairs."

Remembering Bonnie's reaction upon taking the necklace in her hands, Elena nodded. "It was his mother's. And he never told anyone he had it, not even Stefan."

"I know. I always knew he loved you, but this? This is a huge deal, Elena."

Why was Bonnie telling her this now? Was it supposed to make her feel better? Because it wasn't. It was only making Elena miss Damon even more. She desperately wanted to hold him, to kiss him, to make love to him again. And she was terrified that she would never get to do those things again.

"Elena." Bonnie took her hand in hers. "Damon is going to come back to you. I honestly believe that. You need to believe it too. You're his family now. Wherever he is, whatever he's doing right now doesn't matter. _Trust_ him. He will come back to you."

Nodding, Elena wiped at the tears trailing down her cheeks. The unspoken words _Or die trying_ hung heavily in the air between them. And that was exactly what scared Elena. Because while Bonnie saw the necklace as a token of Damon's love for her, Elena couldn't help but feel that it was a goodbye token.

"Bonnie," Elena choked on the word. "Please. You have to reverse the spell. I have to go find him. Please."

"I can't Elena."

"Please! You don't understand! Damon is…he's upset…he's not thinking clearly! If Klaus finds him he'll end up getting himself killed!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't risk losing you. You're my family too." Bonnie stood up and walked out of the room.

Once she was gone, Elena screamed in frustration and threw her pillow across the room.


	21. Chapter 21

Damon stared at the red headed girl in front of him that he'd spent most of his vampire existence trying to get away from. He hadn't seen Marissa in almost fifty years, not since she'd found him in Dallas.

He hadn't been a vampire long when he'd changed her on whim because he'd been bored and lonely. But he'd had no idea how messed up Marissa had been emotionally. Damon had quickly learned he'd made a terrible mistake.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked.

"Watching you." Marissa sashayed over to him, grinning in that manic way that set his nerves on edge. "I'd heard you were going soft, but after watching your exploits last night I see those rumors were wrong."

"Just go away, Rissa." Damon tried not to cringe as her hand cupped his cheek. Her green eyes met his as she leaned forward to kiss his mouth. He turned his head. "No. I told you the last time we ran into each other that _we_ are not happening again."

"And I believe I told you that I would never give up on you, Damon." She raked a finger down his cheek, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. "You and I are so good together. I don't know why you refuse to see it. Maybe I'll just find your dear little brother and have some fun with him instead."

"Go for it." Damon stepped away from her, telling himself he wasn't going to give in to her this time. "Stefan is on human blood again. And it's worse this time. He might actually be a challenge for you now. Of course, you'd have to go through Katherine to get to him."

Arching an eyebrow, Marissa's emerald eyes glittered. "You finally found her, huh? And she chose dear little brother over you?" She threw hear head back, her red curls bouncing, and laughed. "Oh that's priceless. You spent all of those years searching for her, and she didn't even want you?"

Gritting his teeth against the anger and lust that were starting to boil inside him again, Damon smirked. "At least I can take a hint. Why don't you try it, Rissa and get lost?"

"Not until you introduce me to your newest obsession, baby." Her eyes met his, and Damon's body went cold. "Oh yes. I've heard about your little human. I've also heard that she looks like Katherine. Coincidence?" She laughed again. "I don't think so. You can't have Katherine so you went after someone who looks just like her. And I'm the mental one?"

The thought of Marissa coming anywhere near Elena nearly sent Damon into a panic. He quickly clamped down on the alarm that was snaking through his veins. If he let Marissa see it, she would definitely go after Elena. But he couldn't stop himself.

"You will leave Elena out of this." He wrapped his hand around her throat.

Licking her lips suggestively, Marissa grinned. "Wow. You've got it bad, baby. I can see it in your eyes. It's like Katherine all over again. I really need to meet this girl."

"No, you don't." Damon tightened his grip. "I promise I will kill you."

Marissa started to laugh, but then stopped as she saw the truth in his eyes. "You're serious. Now I really want to meet this girl. Besides, I've heard a lot about this little town of yours. Mystic Falls. If it's good enough for Klaus and Elijah to visit, then maybe I should check it out too."

"How the hell do you know all of this?"

"I have my ways. I told you that I would always keep tabs on you, Damon." She reached up to pull his hand away from her neck. She reached down to rub her other hand against his groin. "I even know that you almost died from a werewolf bite. Thankfully, you survived. Now, how about we go inside and have some fun. I've missed you, baby. And you know it's futile to try to resist me."

Although Damon didn't want it to, his body responded instantly to her touch. Grabbing her wrists, he turned and pinned her against the wall, crushing his mouth against hers. He hated the effect she had on him. He loved it. Maybe he was just as sick as she was. Maybe he should be with her instead of Elena.

Elena. Damon pulled away from Marissa.

"What the hell are you doing, Damon?"

"I could ask you the same thing, brother." Damon sneered as he turned to face Stefan and Katherine. "Ready for another round?"

"Stop it, Damon." Katherine scowled at him.

Looking at Katherine reminded Damon of Elena, making him instinctively step away from Marissa. What was he doing? He didn't want to be with Marissa. He wanted Elena.

_But Elena isn't here. Marissa is. And Marissa is the type of woman you deserve Damon. _

"Well hello there, little brother." Marissa smiled as she sauntered over to Stefan. She reached up to stroke his cheek, but Stefan's hand snaked up to catch her wrist.

"What are you doing here, Marissa?" Stefan grimaced.

Sticking her lower lip out in a pout, Marissa batted her eyelashes. "I just came to check in. It was about that time again you know. And look at you." Her eyes raked over Stefan from head to toe and back up to meet his gaze. "Little brother got sexy. Enjoying that human blood again aren't you?"

"This is Marissa?" Katherine stepped up between Stefan and Marissa.

"Well hello Katherine." Marissa smiled. "I've heard sooo much about you. You really did a number on this one." She tilted her head in the direction of Damon.

"Back off." Katherine stared at Marissa, who laughed as she stepped back in Damon's direction.

"Oh we are going to have so much fun." Marissa kissed Damon's cheek. "See you in Mystic Falls, baby."

And then she disappeared.

As everyone around talked and laughed as they sat around the lunch table, Elena sat quietly and pushed the food around on her plate. It had been hours since Katherine had texted her that she and Stefan were almost there. Elena had been glancing at her phone every five minutes since.

What if Damon had already been gone by the time they'd gotten there? What if something bad had happened and that was why Katherine wasn't contacting her? What if they found Damon and taken him to Klaus?

As Elena realized that very well could have happened her heart lodged in her chest. Oh God. She'd been so desperate for someone to find Damon that she hadn't even considered the fact that Katherine and Stefan could take him to Klaus. What had she been thinking trusting Katherine?

"You okay?" Matt leaned over and whispered in her ear, bringing Elena out of her troubled thoughts.

"As fine as I can be right now."

"You haven't eaten anything." He gestured to her full plate.

"Maybe that's because I'm too terrified to eat, Matt," Elena snapped, making everyone at the table look at her. "It must be nice for all of you to sit here and act like there's nothing wrong. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here driving myself crazy with worry because the guy I love is out there somewhere while a vampire-werewolf hybrid is hunting him. Because you know that's what's happening right? Klaus is hunting Damon, watching him, biding his time, waiting for the perfect time to strike."

"Elena," Matt said as he reached for her hand.

"No!" Elena shoved her chair back from the table and jumped to her feet. "And to make matters worse, Stefan and Katherine are the ones out there trying to find Damon! His brother who tried to kill him last night and his psychotic ex-girlfriend who would gladly throw Damon under the bus at the first chance if she benefited from it! So you guys go right ahead! Sit here, eat, drink, and be merry. I'm going upstairs."

Everyone was silent as Elena walked out of the room. While she wanted to go out onto the porch for some air, she couldn't. She couldn't step through the door thanks to Bonnie's stupid spell. So she did the next best thing. She went to the window seat in her bedroom and opened the window.

After taking a couple of deep breaths of fresh air, Elena's nerves settled enough so that her hands had stopped shaking. She pulled out her diary and began to write, pouring out all of her fear and desperation onto the pages. Only when she couldn't see for the tears did she stop writing. And promptly threw the journal across the room.

Hugging her knees to her chest, she curled into a ball and let the tears flow. It was weird. She'd cried so much in the past twenty-four hours, it was kind of amazing that she still had enough tears left to cry.

If anyone had told her two months ago - shit one month - ago that she would be sitting her crying her eyes out over Damon Salvatore she would have laughed in their face. But here she was, doing just that.

When her phone chirped, Elena yanked it from her pocket so hard that the phone almost flew out of her hand and out the open window. But she somehow managed to hold on to it.

Relief washed over her as she read that Damon was okay. Katherine had found him. Now Elena just had to hope that Damon would come home. She didn't care about whatever he'd done while he was gone. None of that mattered to her anymore. She didn't care how many people he'd killed or how many women he'd slept with. She just wanted him home. She _needed_ him home.


	22. Chapter 22

Damon could not believe this was happening. Marissa was going to Mystic Falls.

"What the fuck Damon?" Stefan growled as he stalked toward Damon. "How in the hell could you let Marissa back into your life?"

Holding his ground, Damon stared into Stefan's burning gaze. "She found me, Stefan. You know how it goes."

"You know how dangerous she is! Why did you tell her about Mystic Falls? Christ, Damon! Marissa is a lunatic! You know she's going to go after Elena, not to mention everyone else in that town!"

Stamping down on his temper, Damon growled, "I'm not stupid Stefan! I didn't tell her about Mystic Falls. Marissa already knew about everything. Mystic Falls, Elena, Elijah, Klaus…all of it."

"How?"

"I don't know." Damon shrugged.

"Maybe that's because you were too busy shoving your tongue down her throat." Katherine rolled her eyes. "Seriously Damon. What are you thinking?"

"Can it Kat. I don't you any explanation for my actions."

"And Elena?"

Cringing, Damon stepped away from Stefan. He turned to look at the dent in the brick wall. Katherine was right. What was he doing? What was he thinking?

_And now Marissa is going after Elena. Because of you, Damon. First Klaus and now Marissa. You're on a roll._

"I don't have time for this." Damon said as he went to his car. He had to get back to Mystic Falls. He had to get back to Elena. He had to go home.

As he backed out of the parking spot, Katherine stepped up to lean in his window. "You should know that Elena sent me to find you Damon. She wants you to come home."

"What? She hates you." Elena knew what he was doing. She knew what happened when he lost control of his emotions. And she'd been standing right there when he'd almost killed Stefan. And she had still sent Katherine after him?

"Yes, she does. That just goes to show how much she loves you, Damon." She smiled. "I just thought you should know that."

Katherine stepped back as he slammed the gas pedal to the floor. Damon's heart raced. What the hell? Elena had sent Katherine after him? And Katherine had agreed? What was going on?

Could he still have a chance with Elena? Was it possible that she hadn't given up on him after all? That she could actually forgive him, again? He chuckled. Of course she could. That's what Elena did.

_She gave up on Stefan. She'll give up on you too. You know it's true Damon. Everyone gives up on you. Well, except for Marissa. _

Hands tightening on the steering wheel, Damon gritted his teeth as he sped toward Mystic Falls.

As Elena slowly woke up, she realized she was in her bed. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep on the window seat. Someone must have carried her to bed.

Elena got up and trotted to the bathroom, where she quickly brushed her teeth and used the bathroom. Then she went downstairs to find the living room empty. A light knock on the front door had Elena pausing at the bottom of the steps. Ignoring the protests that were pouring out of the kitchen, she yanked open the door.

"Damon!" Elena gasped as she found herself looking into those gorgeous blue eyes she'd missed so much. Forgetting about Bonnie's spell, Elena launched herself at him, but found herself unable to breach the threshold.

"Again?" Damon chuckled. "Well I'm glad to see that Bonnie is taking such good care of you."

"Damn it!" Elena whirled around, searching frantically for Bonnie.

"Bonnie's not here." Alaric said as he and Caroline came down the hall. "She and Jeremy went to her house for a little while."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Elena growled in frustration. Damon was finally standing in front of her and she still couldn't touch him!

"Are you okay?" Alaric asked Damon.

"I'll have to get back to you on that one, Ric." Damon's eyes met Elena's. "Elena…"

Something had happened. Elena could see it in his eyes. He was scared, but trying to hide it. God, she ached to touch his cheek, to kiss his lips, to run her fingers through his dark hair. She'd thought being apart form him had been torture. She'd been wrong. _This_ was torture, having him right in font of her and not being able to touch him. Neither one of them could breach the invisible wall that was keeping him out and her inside.

"What happened?" Elena whispered.

Damon's eyes fell to the pendant around her neck. The fear in his eyes gave way to relief and then regret. Squeezing his eyes shut, he turned away from her as he sighed heavily.

"Don't turn away from me, Damon." Elena ached to reach out to him. She turned to face Alaric. "Please, Ric. Invite him inside."

"You know I can't do that, Elena." Alaric's voice was thick with regret. "Come on, Caroline. Let's go back into the kitchen. It's obvious that they need to talk."

"Um, I'll call Bonnie." Caroline said.

Turning back to Damon, Elena's breath caught when she found him standing as close as he could without crossing the threshold. Both of his hands were braced against the doorframe; his face was mere inches away from hers. The air between them sizzled with awareness.

"Elena, I did things that will make you hate me all over again," he whispered.

"Shh." Elena shook her head in protest. "Don't. I don't need to know."

"What?" His eyes widened in disbelief.

"I mean it." Elena involuntarily fingered the pendant he'd given her. "I don't want to know what you did. I don't need to know because none of it matters. All that matters is that you came back to me."

Hope filled his eyes for the briefest of seconds. Then the hardness moved back in. His jaw clenched. "You might not care that I killed or had sex with other women, Elena – and I did – but you can't forgive me for almost killing Stefan."

Although she tried not to, Elena cringed at his admission. She'd told herself that it didn't matter that he'd had sex with other women, but hearing him say it still stung. She couldn't help it.

"You heard what Stefan said, didn't you? He left to keep Klaus away from you. He was protecting you, Elena. Surely that must change your newfound opinion of him."

Shaking her head, Elena said, "No. He's not the person I thought he was. He proved that when he came here."

"You've been professing that he's the love of your life since I met you, and I almost killed him. If it hadn't been for Katherine interfering, he'd be dead right now." Damon's stormy gaze held hers. "Because of me."

Shaking her head, Elena said, "No. It would have been because of me. You were angry at him for hurting me, Damon."

"But what if I'd succeeded, Elena?" He leaned in as close as the barrier would allow. "What if I had killed Stefan? Would you be able to forgive me so easily if I had actually killed my brother?"

"Stop." Elena's voice was barely a whisper. "I thought we were past these games, Damon. Stop trying to make me hate you."

"Answer the question, Elena."

The intensity of his gaze told her that everything they had been, everything they were now, and everything they were going to be was riding on this single question. Damon wasn't trying to push her away. He was trying to get her to admit that she still loved Stefan. She couldn't lie to him.

"Even though he's changed, I still care about Stefan. Is that what you wanted to hear, Damon?" When he closed his eyes, she continued, "It's true. I care about Stefan. But I love you."

Opening his eyes, he smirked. "And how many times did you say that to my brother, Elena?"

Unable to pretend that his words didn't hurt, Elena stepped back away from the doorway. Heart aching, she turned her back to him as tears streamed down her face. She told herself that Damon was doing what he'd always done. He was simply lashing out because he was scared of being hurt. So he was trying to hurt her first. And damn it, it was working!


	23. Chapter 23

On his way back to Mystic Falls, Damon's insecurities had gotten the best of him. He hadn't seen or talked to Elena since Stefan had confessed that the reason he'd left town was to get Klaus away from Elena. Saving Damon's life had been another way to insure Elena's protection as well. Surely hearing that had meant something to her.

And then there was Stefan's reaction to Marissa going after Elena. It was obvious that he still loved Elena. The thought of Elena going to back to Stefan as soon as he decided to come home...he couldn't even stand to think about it.

So now here he was, watching Elena try to compose herself after he'd lashed out at her. The hurt in her eyes before she'd turned away from him told him that he'd gone too far. It was the same look he'd seen in her eyes when she'd finally lost her faith in Stefan. And now she would give up on Damon too.

_Of course she will. She will choose your brother over you. Everyone does._

Steeling himself against the pain of her rejection, Damon held his breath as Elena turned around. He fully expected her to slam the door in his face. Only she didn't. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him with defiant eyes.

"Damon, remember when we made love before you left? How I told you that I wanted you to make me yours?"

Just the thought of it had his dick hardening and his gums aching. He could almost taste the sweet tang of her blood filling his mouth again. His breath hitched. He felt his eyes change. And it had absolutely nothing to do with feeding. And everything to with possessing. Elena was _his_.

"That's right." Elena slowly smiled as her fingers touched her neck where he'd bitten her. Then they slowly traveled down to caress the cameo, his mother's cameo, that rested against her chest. "I'm yours, Damon. Fully, completely, and forever. Well, at least for the rest of my life anyway."

A low, guttural growl vibrated deep within his chest. The need to touch her was so great that he found himself instinctively reaching for her. And then he had her in his arms, his mouth ravaging hers. Her arms gripped him as she hung onto him as if her life depended on it. He scooped her into his arms and carried her upstairs.

Pressing her against the mattress, he pulled his lips away from hers to kiss that deliciously smooth neck of hers. His hand snaked behind her jeans and his fingers found her hot and wet and ready for him. She wasn't wearing panties. Groaning, he pushed a finger inside her, grinning triumphantly as she arched in response. As he began to stroke her from the inside, he kissed her again, his tongue matching the thrust of his finger.

Her hands fisted in his hair then slid down his back and around to the front of his jeans. She expertly popped the button and slid the zipper down, releasing the hard, throbbing length of him. He wasn't wearing any underwear either. Her slender fingers wrapped themselves around his hot shaft and slowly started to stroke him in a wondrous rhythm that nearly had him coming all over her stomach.

"Oh, God." He gasped against her lips. "Baby, you need to stop."

"Never." She pulled back do that her milk chocolate eyes met his. "I'll never stop, Damon." She continued stroking him. "I'll never stop believing in you, never stop fighting for you, never stop loving you."

Unable to help himself, Damon moaned as he spilled his seed all over her stomach. Taking a few seconds to recover, he let himself savor Elena's words. And they confirmed what he'd known from the second he'd let himself feel something for Elena. He was completely, utterly, helplessly in love with this woman who was lying underneath him.

And then he was a blur of motion as he stripped both of them of their clothes and moved over her again. As his mouth captured hers once again, his hand cupped her breast before he rolled its tight nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She moaned into his mouth.

His free hand dove between her legs once more, this time finding her throbbing clit and lightly pressed a thumb against it. Wrenching her mouth from his, she buried her face in the crook of his neck as she cried out from the wave of pleasure that rushed through her. Chuckling, Damon slowly licked his way down the smooth plane of her stomach, his tongue slowly circling her belly button, to her hip and to the inside of her thigh, where he gently nipped at the sensitive flesh.

Settling between her knees, he gently parted her thighs with his hands, his eyes drinking in the beauty of her swollen wet sex. Leaning forward, he gently lapped at her with his tongue, literally drinking her in as she began to writhe in the comforter. He took his time licking, sucking, nipping, sending her higher and higher, the pressure building and building until she unraveled once more.

As the orgasm subsided, Damon moved back over her, positioning himself to plunge inside of her. But apparently, Elena had other plans. She sat up and pushed him back on the bed. Straddling his legs, she flashed him a mischievous grin as she hovered just out of reach.

"It's not nice to tease, Elena."

"Oh I disagree."

Laughing, he thrust his hips up so that he plunged inside of her, making them both cry out in pleasure. Shaking her head, she sat down, taking the full length of him deep inside her. With each rock of her hips, she took him even deeper still.

Damon let go, allowed the multitude of emotions that were raging through him wash over him, through him, consume him. He watched her face, watching every emotion that he was feeling flash across her beautiful face. Her hands went up to grip her breasts, nearly sending him over the edge again. Just when he was about to come, he flipped them over so that he was back on top.

As he settled into his own rhythm, he whispered in her ear, "Come with me, baby." Nodding, she tilted her head to the side, revealing her smooth neck to him. Groaning, he let his fangs slip through his gums and he dipped his head to her neck. She gasped as his fangs pierced her skin. When he started to drink from her, she cried out as they both went over the edge together.

Panting, Damon rolled onto his back. Elena draped her arm across his chest as she cuddled into him. He wrapped his arm around her and hugged her against him. He silently wished they could stay like this, cut off from everything out there that could hurt her.

And then he realized that he hadn't been invited into the house. Sitting up in the bed he said, "I shouldn't be here."

"What are you talking about?" Elena sat up and kissed his bare shoulder. "Of course you should. You have every right to be here."

Climbing out of bed, Damon shook his head. "Elena, Ric didn't invite me inside. I shouldn't have been able to come in the house."

Watching as he pulled his jeans on, Elena let his words sink in. He was right. How was it that he'd been able to get in? Did this mean that all vampires could come inside now?

"But Stefan wasn't able to get in." She got up and began to dress as well. "Do you think something happened between then and now?"

Damon shrugged as he pulled his black t-shirt over his head. He looked at her and smiled. Elena's insides went mushy all over again. Oh how she had missed that smile.

"What?"

He reached out and pulled her against him so he could kiss her. The kiss was so tender and sweet that it brought tears to her eyes. He pulled away from her and grinned. "I'm an idiot. I should never have left."

"It's okay." She gave him a quick, reassuring peck on the lips. "You did what you needed to do. I'm okay with it."

"Really?"

"Yes, Damon. You have to be who you are because that's the Damon I love. While you were gone I realized that if you changed your way of life for me, then you wouldn't be the person that I fell in love with. So yes, it's okay."

"You're amazing." He hugged her tightly. "Now, let's go face the music."

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you forget that your friends are downstairs?"

Cheeks flaming, Elena gasped. She and Damon had just had sex in the middle of the day with people downstairs! Burying her face in her hands, she groaned, "Oh no!"

"You're becoming a walk of shame pro." Damon laughed. "Want me to go down first?"

"Absolutely not." She reached out and took his hand in hers. "We go down together."

They slowly walked down the stairs hand in hand to find the living room empty. The kitchen was empty as well. Where had everyone gone? Damon used his vampire hearing and nodded towards the front door. Upon opening the door, Elena saw that Caroline, Alaric, Bonnie and Jeremy were lounging on the porch. Caroline was listening to her iPod.

"Hey." Elena said.

"You can step outside now." Bonnie said, trying to hide her knowing smile.

Elena was relieved when she was able to step through the doorway and onto the porch. Caroline's head snapped up and she yanked the ear buds from her ears. As she wrapped the ear buds around her iPod she glared at Elena and Damon.

"Sometimes vampire hearing sucks," Caroline said, making everyone laugh.

"Well, I would apologize, but…" Damon smirked.

"Forget that," Jeremy said. Elena could see the mixed emotions in his eyes as he looked at Damon, who'd clearly just had sex with his sister. "How the hell did you get into the house, Damon? Alaric didn't invite you in, so what gives?"

"I don't know." Damon's eyes met Jeremy's, and the air around them hummed with tension. "It just happened."

Jeremy nodded, dismissing the entire situation between Damon and Elena. Elena sighed in relief. The last thing she needed was Jeremy and Damon at each other's throats again.

"Well, we have no way of knowing if vampires can get into the house without an invitation," Alaric said. "We do know that Stefan couldn't get in last night."

Elena looked at Bonnie, who was staring at Damon. It was clear that Bonnie thought the answer had something to with Damon and not the house. Was she getting some type feeling? One of those witchy visions or something?

"Bonnie?" Elena walked over to her friend. "What is it? What are you thinking?"

Frowning, Bonnie shook her head. "I don't know. There's something different about Damon."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain. But it's like the energy around him has changed."

Damon didn't look any different to Elena. Well, maybe he looked a little more relaxed than usual. But other than that he looked the same to her. She watched as he, Alaric and Jeremy talked. Nothing set off any warning bells in her head at the moment. He looked the same to her.

"Maybe I'm wrong," Bonnie murmured. "I just can't shake this feeling though. Vampires don't usually emit a sense of energy because they're dead. But it's like there's suddenly a faint glimmer."

Jeremy turned around to look at them. His brows knit together as his eyes shifted to the empty space next to him. Elena realized that he was listening to something. Maybe the air next to him wasn't so empty after all.

"Bonnie look at Jeremy," Elena whispered as she nudged her. "Is he talking to one of his ghosts?"

"Looks like it." Bonnie sighed. "I hate it Elena. It's always there between us, like this wall. And I'm not going to lie, it sucks that it's his ex-girlfriends that he's communicating with. It makes a girl a little insecure."

"I'm sorry Bon."

"Hey." Jeremy came over to them. "Anna said that you're on the right track, Bonnie. What's she talking about?"

"I'm not sure yet." Bonnie stared at Damon.

"Why can't they tell us what we need to know?" Elena asked.

"Doesn't work that way." Bonnie shrugged a shoulder. "Spirits can only guide us. They can't tell us every detail. If they could then it would make things too easy."

Elena sighed. Easy would be a nice change of pace.


	24. Chapter 24

Leaning against the bar at the Grill, Damon sipped his bourbon as he watched Elena disappear into the bathroom with Caroline and Bonnie. Why did girls always go to the bathroom together? After all these years he still hadn't figured that one out.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Darcy said from behind the bar. "Someone was in here asking about you."

Instantly alert, Damon straightened. His thoughts immediately went to Marissa. Could she be here? He hadn't expected her to show herself so quickly. Because of that he hadn't told Elena about her yet.

"Really? Did he or she give you a name?"

"No _she_ didn't." Darcy's eyes twinkled knowingly. "But she did say that she was an old friend. Pretty red head, green eyes, outrageous sex appeal. Ring a bell?"

Because his mouth had gone dry, Damon simply nodded. His stomach knotted and he turned to scan the restaurant. This was not good. He was going to have to warn Elena about Marissa. But how could he explain the warped relationship that he shared with her?

Warped. Yeah, that was one way of looking at it. Damon silently cursed himself for ever turning that bitch in the first place. But he'd been young and lonely. He'd thought he could use Marissa to get over Katherine. Unfortunately, Marissa had only heaped more misery to his already damned existence.

Over the years Marissa had hunted him down and manipulated him to jumping right back into bed with her. But then she'd start getting overly clingy and possessive, which put her into super bitch mode. She would use anyone and everyone to manipulate Damon into staying with her. Threatening to kill those around him was her favorite form of manipulation.

And then there was Stefan. She'd always threaten to go after him again. The first time she'd found him, Damon hadn't believed her when she'd said she would go after Stefan, who happened to be in a neighboring town, if Damon left her. She'd proven him wrong by luring Stefan into her bed.

And the scary thing was that he'd enjoyed every minute of it. The sex with Marissa bordered on torture. In other words, it was fantastic. And the way she was able to manipulate him fascinated Damon. Marissa really was the most sadistic, manipulative bitch he'd ever met. She made Katherine look mild.

_She's your type Damon. Face it. You love to punish yourself. That's why you go after women who are in love with your brother. _

Shaking his head, Damon turned and set his empty glass on the bar. But as much as he wanted to deny it, that was the truth. The reason he hadn't staked Marissa a long time ago was that she was his punishment for all of the evil things he'd done.

_And now she's coming after Elena. You should have killed her. You _should_ kill her._

Darcy filled his glass and started to walk away, but he held up a finger as he downed the whole glass. Raising an eyebrow, she refilled his glass once more.

"Oh look." Darcy nodded towards the pool tables. "There's your friend now.

Cringing, Damon slowly turned around to see Marissa standing beside the pool table, holding a pool stick in one hand. He watched in stunned shock as Tyler walked up and helped her position the stick for the shot. Marissa laughed as Tyler leaned behind her, guiding her hand into proper position.

What the hell? What was she doing with Tyler? Damon watched as Marissa took the shot. He knew damn well she'd missed it on purpose. Marissa was better than he was at pool. She looked up and winked at him. Her red lips curved into that treacherous smile that Damon had come to know so well. His insides turned to into that familiar combination of fire and ice that sent an anticipatory shiver through him.

He shouldn't have agreed to bring Elena here. But she'd begged to get out of the house for a little while. And since she'd been so miserable while he'd been gone, he'd given in to her request for a little fun. Now he was regretting it.

Marissa stepped away from the table, said something to Tyler and strolled over to the bar. Every male eye in the place followed the suggestive sway of her hips. Her high heeled black leather boots clicked confidently with each step she took. Damon couldn't help it; his eyes shifted from her rounded hips up to her perky breasts, peeking over the edge of her dark blue camisole.

When she stepped in front of him, Damon instinctively backed into the bar. Eyes laughing, Marissa pulled her lower lip between her teeth and stared at Damon. She signaled Darcy, who hurriedly poured a shot of tequila for her. Marissa picked up the shot, threw her head back and tossed the liquid down her throat. Arching her eyebrows, she held the empty glass up to her mouth. Her dark pink tongue slowly licked the single drip that was trickling down the side of the glass before expertly circling the glass's rim.

Groaning inwardly, images of her using that magical tongue on him flooded Damon's mind as he watched Marissa's tongue retreat back behind her lips, only to dart out to lick her lips once more. He'd never met another woman with a tongue like hers. She could make a man whimper and weep with a single swipe.

Reaching out to cup his cheek in her hand, Marissa leaned in so that her lips were just a breath away from his. Damon's breath quickened, his body tensed, as he stared into those emerald eyes that he'd grown to love and hate at the same time.

Suddenly Marissa pulled away from him and headed back across the restaurant to the pool table. Tyler's shocked gaze met Damon's, reminding him where he was. He'd been so caught up in Marissa's seductive haze that he'd totally forgotten he was at the Grill. Realizing that everyone in the place had been riveted on him and Marissa, Damon silently cursed himself.

Elena stood frozen in shock as she watched the mysterious red head walk away from Damon, who stared after her as she rejoined Tyler at one of the pool tables. Shock faded into jealousy as Elena regained her legs. She stalked angrily up to Damon and crossed her arms.

"What the fuck, Damon?" She glared into his surprised eyes and felt a stab of satisfaction when she saw that he had the decency to look guilty.

"Elena."

"Well at least you remember my name." Bonnie and Caroline snickered behind her. "Who the hell was that?"

"One of my many mistakes finally catching up with me." He reached out to her, but Elena pulled away. "Elena, we need to leave. Then we can talk about this."

"Good idea." Elena glanced around at the dozens of sets of eyes watching them. "I wouldn't want to create an even bigger, more humiliating scene than you have."

She turned and stalked out of the Grill angrily. When she'd told Damon that she didn't want him to change his ways and that she could accept him for what he was, she hadn't meant that he could throw it in her face. What the hell had he been thinking, acting that way with a woman like that in front of almost everyone she knew? In front of her?

Once they were all in Caroline's car, she turned to glare at Damon in the seat next to her. Telling herself that she wouldn't cry, she fought to hold back the tears that were burning the back of her throat.

"Elena, you need to understand that I didn't mean for her to come here," Damon said. "I turned Marissa not too long after I transitioned myself. I didn't know that she was crazy. Or that she would become obsessed with me." His eyes pleaded for her understanding. "I've been dodging her ever since. Every so often she tracks me down and demands my attention. I've told her repeatedly that I don't want to be with her, but she's…persistent."

So this woman was a crazy vampire who was obsessed with Damon? This was not going to be good. If she wanted Damon back then that meant that she would be coming after Elena to get her out of the way. Great. Another vampire who wanted her dead. Just another day in Mystic Falls.

"How did she find you?" A gnawing feeling in her stomach told Elena that she probably wasn't going to like his answer. The look in his eyes confirmed it. "You ran into her last night?"

"She found me. We talked. I told her to go away. She got angry. And now she's here."

"You told her about me?" Elena tried but couldn't hide the hopefulness in her voice. She knew that she'd told him that she didn't care about any of the women he'd slept with while he'd gone on his feeding rampage, but she couldn't stand the thought of him reconnecting with a woman from his past. That was too personal.

"Of course not." Damon rolled his eyes when Bonnie and Caroline scoffed in the front seat. "Rissa is a lunatic. If I'd told her about you then she would have come straight here."

"And yet she's here anyway?"

"She already knew about you, Elena. And she knew about Klaus and everything else. I don't know how."

"I know I told you that I didn't want to hear any details about last night, but I have to ask." Hating the fact that she was being the jealous girlfriend, Elena took a shaky breath. "Did you sleep with her?"

"No," Damon said quickly. "Elena, it was just a kiss." When she glared at him, he cringed. "Look, I don't need you going all jealous girlfriend on Rissa. She's not Katherine. She's worse, much worse."

"Um guys," Bonnie said, "We've got a problem."

Elena looked up to see her family home engulfed in flames. Gasping, she pushed the car door open and tumbled out into the street. Sirens screaming, emergency vehicles jerked to a stop in front of the burning Gilbert house. Thinking only of Jeremy, Elena took off for the house. Damon gripped her arm.

"Elena you can't go in there!" He took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Look at me! You'll die if you go in there!"

"But Jeremy!" Tears streamed down her face as she fought against his hold.

"Elena, I'm right here." Jeremy said from behind her.


	25. Chapter 25

Damon's heart slowed as he watched Elena run into Jeremy's arms. He quietly watched as they held each other and cried. Since his face was sooty, Damon could only assume that Jeremy had been in the house when it had caught fire. Thank God the kid had gotten out in time. Elena would have been devastated if she'd lost her brother. And Damon had to admit that he would've missed the kid too.

"Jeremy, where's Ric?" Damon asked.

"Right here." Alaric walked up to them, sending another wave of relief through Damon. "Jeremy was upstairs asleep. I managed to get him out before it got too bad."

"What the hell happened?" Damon watched as the firefighters' hoses doused the flames that were flaring through the downstairs windows.

"I was in the kitchen when something came crashing through the window. Flames exploded. Suddenly everything was on fire. I think something came through the living room window too. The fire was everywhere all at once."

"Shit."

Damon couldn't help but think that if this had happened this morning, Elena would have been inside. And Bonnie's spell would have prevented her from leaving. Bonnie hadn't been here. Elena would have died.

Marissa. It had to be. It was too much of a coincidence that this happened right after she showed up in Mystic Falls. Damon decided right then and there that the next time he saw Marissa he was going to kill that bitch. She'd finally pushed him past his limit. He didn't care that he'd once loved her, or that he felt some type of responsibility for turning her into the monster she was now.

Damon was going to kill Marissa the next time he laid eyes on her.

The ringing of his phone pulled Damon to attention. He pulled it from his pocket and was surprised to see Katherine's phone number on the screen. What the hell did she want now?

"I'm busy. What do you want?" He walked away from the noise of the crowd and the water hoses.

"Damon, tell me Elena is okay." Katherine hissed.

"Why do you care? You hate her."

"I'm not kidding Damon. If that bitch Marissa hurt Elena I am going to kick her ass myself."

Confused, Damon glanced at Elena. What had he missed when he'd run off? Had Katherine and Elena bonded or something? What were they, BFFs now?

"Regardless of how I feel about Elena, she is my kin. And if that psycho bitch thinks she just waltz into town and attack my family she's mistaken."

"Oh, I get it. Stefan must have told you about his history with her so you're just looking for a reason to stake her ass." Damon laughed. "Is Klaus not keeping you busy enough, Kat?"

"Damon, just tell me if Elena is hurt."

"She's fine. She was with me at the Grill." The phone clicked in his ear. Scowling, Damon put it back in his pocket.

"Hey." Elena walked up and wrapped her arms around his waist, their fight instantly forgotten. "Who was on the phone?"

"Katherine." Damon felt her stiffen. "Apparently news of the fire has spread. She was checking on you to make sure you weren't hurt."

"That's all she said?"

"Yes." When she relaxed, he cupped her chin to look at her face. "What happened between you two while I was gone?"

"We talked. She claimed to not hate me. Blah blah blah. I just don't trust her."

While he had the feeling that she was not telling him everything, Damon decided to let it slide. After all they were watching her house burn, which reminded him that they needed to find Elena and Jeremy a new place to stay.

"I think you should stay at Bonnie's," he said.

"No way!" She shook her head. "I'm staying with you. Bonnie will never invite you in. She hasn't even invited Caroline in because she's a vampire."

"That's the point Elena. You need to be where vampires can't get to you."

"Not happening Damon. I refuse to be separated from you again. I can't stand it. We can all stay at your house together." She elbowed him. "Besides, it is still in my name."

Damon knew he was going to have to tell Elena all about Marissa. The whole sick, sordid story. But right now they had to deal with the mess in front of them. He held Elena as they watched the firefighters battle the burning house.

Sitting in the living room of the Salvatore house, Elena looked up from the book she was reading at the sound of the floor creaking above her. Frowning, she wondered who had come back into the house. They were all outside checking around the house to make sure there were no vampires on the prowl. Jeremy and Bonnie had gone to the store to buy some food since Damon's supply was extremely limited.

Realizing that the noise was coming from Damon's room, she smiled. She quickly got up and made her way quietly up the stairs. As she neared the top of the stairs, she heard whispering voices coming from Stefan's bedroom. No one was supposed to be in his room. Ignoring the warning bells suddenly ringing in her head, Elena peered through the crack in the door. Her heart lurched in her chest at the sight of Stefan and Katherine having sex in his bed.

Although she'd thought she'd accepted the fact that they were together now, Elena couldn't stop the stab of betrayal that pierced her heart. How could Stefan have left her behind to run off to be with Katherine? The rejection still burned in Elena.

Turning away from Stefan's room, Elena pushed the door to Damon's room open. The sight of Damon and Marissa locked in a tangled, sweaty embrace in his bed made her stumble back into the hallway.

"Elena!"

Chest heaving, stomach churning, Elena bolted upright in Damon's bed. She looked at Damon as she wiped her hair out of her sweaty face. The image of him in bed with Marissa replayed her mind. He leaned over to kiss her cheek but she pulled away from him. She got out of the bed and trotted into his bathroom on shaky legs, barely making it to the toilet before she threw up.

Once her stomach stopped heaving, she went to the sink and turned on the tap. Splashing cold water on her clammy face, she tried to push the images of Stefan and Katherine and Damon and Marissa out of her mind. After she dried her face with the hand towel on the counter, Elena caught Damon's gaze in the giant mirror.

"When was the last time you ate anything?" His voice was full of concern.

"It's okay, Damon." Elena smiled weakly. "I just had a bad dream. And it's been a stressful few days."

Shaking his head, he said, "I know it has, but you still need to eat. It might make you feel better. I'm getting you some food."

She walked past him and crawled back into bed. It had been two days since her house had burned down. They had all moved into the Salvatore house, except for Tyler because Damon refused to let a werewolf stay in his house (not to mention the fact that Tyler was apparently the one responsible for feeding Marissa information), and the constant worry about intruders was starting to take its toll on everyone. Bonnie and Jeremy were fighting. Caroline was snippy as hell. Alaric was grumpy and restless. And now Elena felt like she was coming down with the flu. She'd felt like shit all day.

And then the nightmare hadn't helped. She understood the part about Damon and Marissa, especially since Damon had explained the whole twisted story to her. It still pissed her off when she thought about the control that bitch exerted over Damon by taking advantage of his insecurities. But why was she dreaming about Stefan and Katherine? She thought she'd gotten past that. They were together and she and Damon were together. So why had seeing Stefan with Katherine in her dream upset her so much?

"Here." Damon held out a plate of crackers and grapes and a can of ginger ale. "You need something on your stomach. That's the second time you've thrown up today. Eat."

Sighing, Elena took a sip of the ginger ale. As Damon watched, she popped a cracker into her mouth.

"Want to talk about your nightmare?"

"Not really."

"Let me guess. Me and Marissa?" When she looked at him he laughed. "Don't look so shocked. It makes sense. It even explains the throwing up. She makes me feel like too sometimes."

"Damon, it's not funny." How could he joke about Marissa? She was evil. And she had to admit that it bothered her that he hadn't killed Marissa by now. Did that mean that on some deeper level he still cared about her?

His face sobered. "Elena, what did you do with the necklace Stefan gave you?"

"I took it off when you gave me this one." She grasped the cameo around her neck. "I put it in my jewelry box. Why?"

"So it burned in the fire."

Vervain. Stefan's necklace had been infused with vervain to protect her from vampire compulsion. How could she have been so stupid? She'd been walking around unprotected.

"You think Marissa is causing the nightmares? She can do that, can't she?"

Damon nodded. "She's been trying to get inside my head too. We need to get you some vervain. I'll be right back."

He left the room, leaving Elena alone with her thoughts. While she didn't want to think about her any more, Marissa's face kept floating into her mind. She really was evil. And from what Damon had told her, Marissa did sound a lot worse than Katherine.

By telling Marissa about what had happened with Katherine Damon had inadvertently given Marissa power over himself. Marissa knew that the one way to screw with Damon's head was by using his insecurity over Stefan and Katherine. And she used it to her full potential to make Damon do whatever she wanted. In combination with her flamboyant sex appeal, poor Damon had never stood a chance.

"Fucking bitch," Elena muttered.


	26. Chapter 26

As Damon trotted down the stairs, he pondered over their newest threat, Marissa. What the hell was she planning? And where had she been? It had been two days since she'd burned Elena's house down. She hadn't shown her face since. Of course, he hadn't exactly been out searching for her either. He'd been too busy here with Elena.

Maybe she was having fun with her newest boy toy. Fucking Tyler. Always causing problems. Apparently Tyler had hooked up with Marissa when he'd been off with Jules doing whatever werewolves do. And Marissa had used her charms on Tyler to pump him for information about Damon.

Damon couldn't really blame Tyler for falling under Marissa's spell. After all, Damon still struggled himself, and he'd been dealing with Marissa for over a hundred years. Tyler was young and naïve.

Feeling the back of his neck prickle, Damon whirled around in the hallway to find himself face to face with Stefan. Great. This was all he needed. He had a house full of people and now his blood crazy brother was here.

"What do you want?" Damon asked, casting a glance over his shoulder. Yep. Katherine was here too.

"You."

Rolling his eyes, Damon groaned, "Are we really going to do this again? I don't have time for this, Stef. Elena is sick."

It was brief, but Damon saw the concern flash in Stefan's eyes. At least his brother hadn't completely lost his humanity. Yet. And as quickly as it had come it was gone again, leaving Stefan's eyes flat and cold.

"What's wrong with her?" Katherine asked. "Why don't you give her some blood to heal her?"

"Flu maybe?" Damon shrugged. "And as for giving her my blood? I'm so not going there again. This time she'll have to ask for it. So, let's get on with this then. Are we fighting here or outside, Stefan?"

"I'm not here to fight you, Damon." Stefan stepped towards him. "We're here to keep you entertained for a little while."

"Wh-" A piercing pain in Damon's back took his breath away. He felt the vervain quickly enter his bloodstream as Stefan grabbed him and slung him over his shoulder. While the vervain stung, its burn wasn't as incapacitating as it had before. As Stefan carried him down the hall, Damon realized that he wasn't paralyzed.

"I'll go get Caroline," Katherine said as she started to turn away.

Gathering all of his strength, Damon wrenched himself from Stefan's grasp and tumbled to the floor. He stood up almost immediately and had Stefan pinned against the wall by this throat. Katherine froze with her foot on the first stair and looked at Damon with wide eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Damon demanded.

"Maybe I'm ready to come home." Stefan struggled against Damon's hold, but Damon only tightened his grip, making the veins in Stefan's forehead bulge.

"I don't think so." Damon's mind raced. He cast a glance at Katherine, who was trying to slink up the stairs. "Shit!" He released Stefan and raced to block her path. "You're not going up there." He shoved Katherine across the hall and crashing into the wall. "_What_ are you doing here?"

Stefan came at him again, but Damon ducked out of the way and threw a right hook that sent Stefan flailing back onto the floor. Growling, Stefan glared at Damon while he wiped the blood from his lip.

Damon asked, "What do you want with Elena?"

"_We_ don't want to anything to do with her." Stefan smirked.

The floor tilted as terror overwhelmed Damon. Klaus. He spun on his heel to race upstairs, but both Katherine and Stefan tackled him at the same time. His arms were yanked behind his back, sending pain shooting through his shoulders as they popped out of their sockets. "Fuck!" He writhed in pain as Stefan scooped him up from the stairs and carried him down the hall.

The urge to get to Elena sent Damon into a furious panic. Ignoring the pain in his shoulders, which were rapidly healing, he kicked and flailed until Stefan lost his grip on him again. And suddenly everything went black.

At the sound of the door clicking closed, Elena opened her eyes and cried out in surprise when she saw Klaus standing beside the bed, gazing down on her. His lips curled into a smile as he watched her with those eerie, calculating eyes of his.

"Klaus." Elena sat up in the bed. "What are you doing here? Where's Damon? What have you done with him?"

Clucking his tongue, Klaus sat down on the bed. "Always concerned about poor Damon. Not to worry my love. He's downstairs with Katerina and Stefan."

"Please don't let them hurt him!"

"They wouldn't have to if he would stop fighting them so much." He cocked his head as he listened to whatever was going on downstairs. "And there we go. Nap time for Damon."

Cringing at the thought of Damon being hurt, Elena swallowed. "You've decided what it is that you want from me in exchange for you leaving Damon alone. What is it?"

"You are smart, Elena. I love watching your eyes as you put the pieces together in that beautiful head of yours." He reached out and smoothed her hair back from her face. He frowned. "You don't look well my dear."

"I'm not feeling well. I think I might have the flu. What is it that you want from me?"

Caroline blurred into the room, trying to scoop Elena into her arms. But Klaus easily tossed her back into the hallway. Elena gasped at the sickening thud of Caroline's body hitting the floor.

"Katerina will take care of her." Calm and cool, Klaus looked at Elena. "Were you serious when you said you would do anything to save Damon?" Klaus's golden eyes searched hers for the truth. "Anything?"

Nodding her head, Elena tried to ignore the fear that was rushing through her. Klaus had already tried to kill her once, so what's to say he wouldn't try again? Was that what he was going to request from her? Or what if he wanted to turn her? She held her breath as she waited.

"Well okay then." Klaus chuckled. "Your loyalty amazes me, Elena. You know that the curse has been broken. I have fully embraced my werewolf side now. And I must say that it is quite the rush." He smiled. "Now it's time for the second part of my plan. Creating my own hybrid race."

Eyes bulging, Elena gasped. Klaus wanted to create a hybrid race? But what did that have to do with her? Unless…oh God.

"So smart. That's right my dear." Klaus stroked her cheek. "Now that the curse has been lifted I should be fully capable of procreating. And who better to give me my first child than someone from the Petrova bloodline?"

Elena couldn't breathe. Klaus wanted to have a baby with her. A hybrid baby! With her! Under any other circumstances, she would say no – hell no!- but this was about _Damon_. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "Okay."

"Wow. You really are selfless aren't you? You must truly love him." Klaus's hand dropped to rest on her knee.

As a tear slid down her cheek Elena nodded. Silently begging for Damon's forgiveness, she leaned over and pressed her lips to Klaus's. When he began to kiss her back she pulled him down with her onto the bed.

Trying to forget who she was kissing, Elena parted her lips for Klaus. He deepened the kiss, his tongue delving in to explore her mouth. And suddenly he pulled back and stared at her, his golden eyes widening in shock.


	27. Chapter 27

The image of Elena lying on the bed underneath him looking at him with fearful eyes had Damon snapping awake. He was in the cellar. This was not good. He had to get to Elena. Now.

"Damon." Caroline's voice said quietly from the corner.

"What are you doing in here?" Damon frowned. When he tried to move it felt like he was moving through syrup. The sluggishness in his muscles told him that he'd been drugged. Heavily. What the hell? Since when could he be drugged?

"Katherine overpowered me after I tried to get Elena away from Klaus. Then she tossed me in here with you. You were unconscious."

"Where's everyone else?"

"They've all been sedated. Except for Elena."

"She's with Klaus?" Gritting his teeth, Damon silently urged his muscles to wake up. "Are they still here?"

She nodded. "As far as I can tell. I can hear Stefan and Katherine talking upstairs so I assume that Klaus is still here too."

Closing his eyes in concentration, Damon focused his hearing. He could hear Stefan and Katherine arguing quietly in the study. Ignoring them, Damon reached farther.

_"This is a surprising turn of events," Klaus said._

_ "What is it? You can tell what's wrong with me can't you?"_

_ "Yes. Tonight is not the best night for you to conceive it seems. And because of that I need to review my plans."_

Conceive? Holy shit. Klaus's plan was to get Elena pregnant? Was that even possible? Well obviously it was since that was Klaus's plan.

"Fuck! We have to get out of here, Caroline." Damon raced to the door and reached for the handle. He knew it would be locked, but he had to try.

"Damon don't!" Caroline grabbed his arm. "It's coated with vervain."

"I don't fucking care." His hand tingled when it came into contact with the slick door handle. Gathering his strength, he pulled. Hard.

When the door wrenched open, Caroline exclaimed in surprise. "How did you do that? It burned me when I touched it."

"I don't know." Damon glanced over his shoulder. "And we don't have time to try to figure it out. Are you coming or not?"

"How about not?" Katherine said from the doorway. "Damon. Forget about it. You can't take on Klaus. He's too strong."

"Damn it Katherine." Damon hissed, anger boiling inside of him. "I am not going to sit here and do nothing while he fucks her! How can you claim to care about her and stand here and let that happen?"

Caroline gasped behind him, but Katherine just sighed. "It's not like she loves him, Damon. It's meaningless sex."

"You know that's not true!" Damon's gaze shifted to his brother, who was hunched against the wall behind Katherine. Stefan's hands were in his pockets and his gaze was centered on the floor. "And you! I know you're embracing your dark side right now, but you used to love Elena. And I think you still do. How can you stand by while that monster tries to get her pregnant?"

Raising his head, Stefan's emotionless green eyes locked on Damon's. "I can't help you, Damon. Not with this."

"Why the hell not?"

Frowning, Stefan's eyes filled with uncertainty. "I just can't."

All hope of trying to get Stefan to help him vanished. Damon knew Klaus had compelled Stefan not to help him. And there was nothing that could break the hold Klaus held over Stefan.

"And you?" Damon looked at Katherine. "Are you under compulsion as well?"

"I can't say." Which meant that she was.

"Fine. I'll just take him on by myself." Gathering his strength, Damon shoved past Katherine and headed for the stairs.

Elena watched as Klaus stood and walked to the window. She was confused and scared. "What's wrong with me?" She asked.

"Don't fret." He turned to smile at her. "I just need to figure some things about before we proceed."

Swallowing nervously, Elena slowly stood and walked toward him. His expression softened as he watched her, his eyes slowly wandering over her body. Lust unfurled in his golden eyes.

"So selfless," he said quietly. "You don't give up easily do you?"

"No." Elena stopped directly in front of him. She knew what she had to do to try to keep their deal intact. Raising herself to her toes, she gently kissed his mouth. When she got no response, she pulled back and frowned. "You came here so that I could uphold my end of our deal."

"Circumstances have changed. It's not just about the sex Elena," he whispered. "Although I am sure that it would be quite enjoyable."

"Then tell me how else I can keep you from going after Damon, Klaus. Because I meant it from the bottom of my heart when I said that I will do anything to protect him." Desperate determination resonated clearly in her voice. "Tell me what I have to do to keep him safe."

He stroked her hair. "You would really give yourself to me, knowing that you can't completely hold up your end of our deal?"

Although it pained her, she knew that sleeping with Klaus would be worth it if it would keep Damon safe. Sex had nothing to do with love, especially for vampires. It was simply a means to an end.

"How else can I assure you of my loyalty?"

Tilting his head slightly, his eyes sparkled with amusement. "It's fascinating. You and Katerina look exactly alike. And yet you are completely different."

"Is that it? Do you want me to act more like Katherine?"

Laughing, Klaus shook his head. "Now that would be tragic. I see it now, what the infamous, detached, and impulsive Damon Salvatore is so desperate to hold on to. And I admit I find myself feeling quite envious. If you're this loyal as a human, imagine how loyal you would be as a vampire."

Seeing the change in his eyes, Elena bit back a fearful gasp. His gaze sharpened, his eyes glowing a molten yellow now as excitement burned in them. The whites were a startling blood red, darker than she'd ever seen in a vampire before. She was pretty sure his teeth were elongating in his mouth.

This was it. Even though she'd told herself that she would gladly do it to protect Damon and everyone else she cared about she still found herself paralyzed in fear at the thought of becoming a vampire. It had almost happened before and she'd thought she'd fully accepted it. But the relief she'd experienced upon waking up human had been tremendous.

Quietly begging for Damon's forgiveness, she gripped his mother's cameo. She could only hope that he could some day, some how forgive her for throwing her humanity away for him. Because she knew he was going to hate her for this. And she also hoped that one day he would be able to forgive himself.

Heaving a deep breath, Klaus regained control, his eyes quickly returning to normal. But the wonder in his eyes remained.

"You are a sight to behold, Elena." Klaus shook his head. "You stand there ready to give yourself up again for those that you love. And for the first time in my existence, I find myself unable to follow my instincts."

Suddenly dizzy, Elena swayed on her feet. Klaus's arms darted out to pull her into a comforting embrace.

"Steady, love."


	28. Chapter 28

Kicking the bedroom door open, Damon's vision blurred into an infuriated red haze at the sight of Elena in Klaus's arms. Before either Klaus or Elena could react Damon was yanking Klaus away from her and tossing him across the room. The entire upstairs shook as Klaus crashed through the bookcase, sending splinters of wood flying through the air.

"I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Damon yelled as he flew at Klaus, who was pulling himself up from the floor.

Katherine rushed in front of him. "Damon! Stop! He'll kill you! Damon!"

Damon responded by shoving her to the floor. Klaus grinned as he blocked Damon's fist that was meant for his face. Damon jerked his head to the side as Klaus retaliated with his own punch. Strong arms went around his waist, trying to pull him away from Klaus, but Damon pushed forward, hell bent on killing the hybrid in front of him for daring to put his hands on Elena.

"Stop! Damon!" Stefan's voice roared in Damon's ear as he managed to get his hands around Klaus's forearms.

Damon fully intended to rip the bastard's arms from his body, but Klaus had managed to grip Damon's forearms as well. They stood, locked in a power struggle, staring and growling at each other. For once it appeared that they were evenly matched.

Because Stefan was still trying to drag Damon away, Damon kicked at his brother. "Let me go Stefan!" he snarled. "I'm going to kill this bastard right here, right now!"

"Stop it!" Elena stepped up beside the struggling duo. She looked at Stefan. "Let him go." She stared at him for a few seconds before he complied. "Now, you two." She looked at Damon and Klaus. "Stop this right now. Please."

Damon was not going to back down, and he could tell by the look in Klaus's eyes that he wasn't either. And then Elena ducked under their linked arms to pop up between them, facing Damon.

"Elena, get out of the way." Damon scowled at her. What was she doing? Trying to get herself killed?

"No." She looked into Damon's eyes; his anger instantly dropped a notch. "Please stop. I'm begging you." She wrapped her arms around him and his resolve melted.

He released his hold on Klaus to wrap his arms around Elena. Scooping her up so her feet were lifted from the floor, he turned so that his body shielded hers from Klaus. As long as she was in his arms all was right in the world. She kissed his mouth as he tried to regain control of his breathing.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He whispered against her lips.

"That I didn't want you to be killed right in front of me." She smiled.

At the sound of Klaus's chuckle, Damon spun around to face him. Klaus straightened his shirt and brushed off bits of wood.

"Well, that was enlightening." Klaus winked. "Elena, my dear, I'm going to have to get back to you about our deal at a later date."

Damon's stomach flipped as the crowd that had poured into the room gasped. His eyes narrowed on Elena. "What deal?"

"It appears you two have much to discuss. We'll give you some time to do that." Klaus nodded at Stefan and Katherine. With a whoosh the three of them disappeared out the bedroom window.

Ignoring their friends who were now clustered just inside the doorway, Damon stared at Elena. The quiver of her lower lip told him that he was really going to hate what she was about to tell him.

"What deal, Elena?" he asked quietly. When she stared at him, her eyes filling with tears, he leaned over her so that their noses were almost touching. His stomach twisted into a series of knots as he tried to prepare himself for whatever Elena was about to say. Because if she was starting to cry this soon it was going to be really bad. He just hoped it wasn't going to push him over the edge. "What. Deal."

"He w-wants to start his own h-hybrid race." Tears spilled from her eyes. "And he wants to start with m-me."

Gasps and exclamations erupted from the doorway. Damon silenced them with a glaring look. The urge to kill reared its ugly head inside him, snapping at his thin threads of self control. "So let me get this straight. You _agreed_ to have sex. With Klaus. To let him try to _impregnate_ you?"

Her nod set his blood boiling. Jerking upright, he fought for control of his anger that was quickly spiraling out of control. He turned his back to her and walked over to his side table and poured himself a drink. As he brought the glass to his lips, he realized his hand was shaking.

And now he knew why Elena had been so anxious when Katherine had called. Katherine had known that Elena had spoken with Klaus. And neither one of them had told him.

"Why?" He croaked, although he already knew the answer.

"So he would leave you alone."

Her words sent a tornado of emotions raging through him. Clamping down on them, he poured himself more bourbon and downed in it one gulp. Then he promptly chucked the glass against the wall.

As the glass shattered into a thousand little pieces, Elena grimaced. She had known that Damon would react this way. But she hadn't had a choice. She'd promised Klaus that she would do anything to keep Damon safe. Surely Damon had to understand that. He would have done the same thing if he'd been in her place.

And now, as she watched him fight for control, her stomach trembled with fear. What if he didn't understand? What if he couldn't forgive her?

"Damon," she said hoarsely.

He didn't turn to face her. Instead, he kept his back to her as he struggled for control. Elena watched as his shoulders heaved, his body trembled with barely controlled anger. Oh God. What had she done?

"Damon, please. Say something. Anything."

As she waited for him to say something, anything, to ease her fears, she held her breath. What if she'd finally gone too far? What if he couldn't forgive her for this? What if he didn't want anything to do with her any more?

As the minutes ticked by, Elena's stomach churned. A rush of heat bloomed within her; her skin flushed. Her head spun. She found herself scrambling to the bathroom, where her stomach heaved violently. As she rested her head against the cool porcelain of the seat, tears burned behind her eyelids as she struggled to come to terms with the fact that she might have just destroyed the most precious thing in her life.

The thought of Damon finally giving up on her, on them, terrified her. She had committed the ultimate betrayal. She had taken his trust, not easily given to begin with, and demolished it in a matter of minutes. What was wrong with her? She should have known better.

"Elena?" Bonnie knelt beside her. She reached out to comfort her by rubbing her back. But as soon as her hand came into contact with Elena's back, Bonnie inhaled sharply. "Oh dear."

"What?" Elena turned to look at her best friend. "What is it Bonnie? What is wrong with me?" Because deep down, Elena could tell that her friend knew why she was sick. She could see the shock and worry in her friend's eyes.

Bonnie shook her head. "Elena, what were you thinking?"

"Bonnie I have to do whatever it takes to save him. You of all people should understand that."


	29. Chapter 29

Hands fisted in his hair, Damon fought to calm himself down. He needed to get control of himself, but the anger was too great. It was overpowering him. And, worse, it was directed at Elena. How could Elena do this to him? Did she really think that he was just going to step aside while she crawled into bed with Klaus? How could she even ask him to do that?

"Step back, Caroline." Damon sensed her behind him.

"Damon, you need to calm down." She reached out and touched his shoulder, making him spin to face her. "Elena is trying to protect you."

Unable to stop it, his face transformed as he hissed at the vampire standing in front of him. Instinctively, Caroline's face changed as well, but unlike Damon she quickly regained control.

"Damon—"

"Get out of my face Caroline! I will rip your heart out and not think twice about it." He closed his eyes tightly, fighting to restrain the monster inside him that was trying to take over.

_Oooh. Good idea. Do it Damon. Imagine how satisfying it will be to hear the sound of her ripping flesh and the gurgling of her blood as you wrench her heart from her chest just for the hell of it. _

"No!" This was Caroline, Elena's friend. She'd never forgive him. Opening his eyes, he glared at Caroline, who gasped and scrambled backwards.

_Yes! Do it Damon. You need to kill her. There's a stake right there on the floor. She's standing right in front of you! KILL HER!_

"Damon, you're eyes! Oh shit!" Her eyes were frantic as she stumbled into the bed and fell backwards onto it.

_Get her Damon!_

The urge was too great. He couldn't stop himself from scooping the abandoned stake up from the floor and charging the bed. Chaos erupted. Caroline screamed, people yelled, feeding Damon's urge to kill. Someone grabbed him from behind, but Damon easily shook off whoever it was. And then Jeremy was in face, pushing his hands against Damon's shoulders.

"Damon!" Jeremy yelled as someone gripped Damon's shoulders again. "Stop!"

A stake plunged into Damon's shoulder, making the monster inside him roar with fury. He spun around shoved Alaric across the room. Sprawling on the floor, Alaric immediately fired a vervain dart into Damon's side. Growling, Damon wrenched it out and tossed it on the floor before scanning the room for Caroline. _She_ was the one he needed to kill.

"Damon!" Jeremy was in his face again. "Look at me! Get a hold of yourself!"

"Get out of my way, Jeremy!" Damon snarled. "I don't want to hurt you. Just her." His eyes landed on Caroline, who was curled into a ball at the head of the bed. When her gaze met his, her eyes bulged.

Elena. Her face flashed in his mind and grounded him instantly. The animal inside of him receded and the urge to kill faded. He turned to find her standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Damon." Her panic stricken eyes met his as she made her way across the room to him.

He stiffened as she threw herself against him, burying her face in his chest. As he felt her body jerking as she sobbed, the last shred of anger disappeared. Gathering her to him, he squeezed her tightly, but not too tightly.

"Elena," he whispered into her ear, "I—"

"Shh." She pressed a finger against his lips. Her brown eyes met his and she gently kissed his lips. "I did this, Damon. I knew it would push you over the edge, but I did it anyway. I shouldn't have agreed to this. I knew it would upset you."

"Upset me?" He scoffed. "Try enraged Elena. Because that's how I feel right now. I can't believe you would agree to such a thing. Why?"

"Because I can't stand the thought of him hurting you. Or worse."

"What the fuck is going on here?" Matt said from the doorway. "What did I just walk in on?"

"I'd like to know that myself," Alaric muttered. "Damon, what the hell is going on with you? I've seen you angry – shit downright irate – before, but that..."

"It's not his fault." Caroline stood up from the bed.

Damon turned to look at Caroline. He'd almost killed Caroline. What the hell had he been thinking? That was the problem, he hadn't been thinking. He'd been reacting to that voice in his head. It was as if he hadn't been in control of his own body.

"Caroline—"

"Damon, you couldn't help it. You weren't in control." Caroline stepped towards him.

He had just tried to kill her. Why the hell was she coming towards him? Were they all losing their minds?

"Damon, when you're eyes changed," Caroline said, "they glowed. Golden. Like Tyler's."

"What? That doesn't even make sense." Damon frowned. "I'm a vampire, not a damn werewolf."

"Oh my God." Bonnie exclaimed. "That's it!"

What was going on? Elena's head spun. What was Caroline talking about? Why would Damon's eyes glow like a werewolf's? Sure he'd been bitten, but that didn't transfer the curse. Did it? Damon turning into a werewolf was not a good thing. He was dangerous enough as a vampire. Oh no. He'd killed people, lots of people. Was it possible that he'd triggered the curse?

But wait. He couldn't have the curse; Damon was a _vampire. _Vampires couldn't turn into werewolves. Could they?

"This is stupid," Damon said. "Vampires don't turn into werewolves, Caroline. And you." Damon turned to look at Bonnie. "What do you mean 'that's it?' What aren't you telling us now?"

Bonnie said calmly. "Lately you've been emitting this sudden energy. Like your aura or something has changed. And it shouldn't because technically you're dead."

"What does this mean?" Alaric asked.

"Damon you drank Klaus's blood. We all assumed that it would work its way out of your system like any other blood. But it isn't like any other blood. It's the blood of a hybrid. We have no idea how it reacts within anyone's body, much less a vampire's."

"So Klaus's blood is still in his system." Alaric frowned in concentration. "Maybe it has somehow mixed with Damon's blood, changing it, slowly turning him into a werewolf? Or worse, a hybrid like Klaus?"

Bonnie shrugged. "It's possible. Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that Damon's blood was already infected with werewolf venom. I don't know."

"So I'm going to turn into a wolf at the next full moon?" Damon shook his head. "No fucking way."

"No." Caroline shook her head. "I don't think so. Your eyes…I don't know how to explain it. They weren't completely golden like a werewolf's. Instead there was like a ring of gold in them."

"This doesn't make sense." Elena pulled back to look at Caroline.

Caroline shrugged. "I can't explain it. I just know that his eyes are different."

"Then maybe Bonnie's right." Alaric frowned. "Maybe you're not turning into a werewolf. But there's some type of reaction going to on between your blood and Klaus's."

"Wait." Jeremy frowned. "Damon, when you were trying to attack Caroline you said that she was the one that you _had_ to kill."

Damon nodded. "That's all I could think about. I felt this overwhelming need to kill Caroline. I don't know why. The voice kept telling me to."

Elena's head snapped up. "Voice? What voice? What are you talking about?"

"It's a royal pain in the ass. Always trying to boss me around, telling me I'm not good enough, pushing me to kill."

"Blood," Jeremy blurted out suddenly. When everyone looked at him, he shrugged. "Sorry. Vicki is yelling it at me."

"Blood?" Bonnie frowned. "Well we already know that this has to do with Damon drinking Klaus's blood." She rolled her eyes.

"You don't have to be so snippy Bonnie." Jeremy looked at her. "She's just trying to help."

"Oh my gosh!" Caroline exclaimed. "Damon, remember when Stefan had you locked in the cellar? And you influenced me to come let you out?"

"Wait, what?" This was the first that Elena had heard of this. She'd known that Damon had gotten out but she hadn't realized it had been Caroline that had freed him. And how had he been able to influence her?

"Because I drank your blood." Damon nodded. "I used the power of the blood bond."

"What if you've created a blood bond with Klaus?" Caroline said, "What if he's figured it out and has been using it to control you?"

"You might be onto something, Caroline," Bonnie said.

"So you're telling me that when you drink someone's blood you have the ability to influence them?" Elena asked Damon, who nodded. "And why am I just finding this out now?"

Giving her a lopsided smirk, Damon said, "Never came up?"

"Damon."

Sighing, he said, "It's not something we want the world to know, Elena."

"I'm not the world, Damon."


	30. Chapter 30

Elena had no idea how wrong she was about that. She _was_ Damon's world, and she had been since he'd returned to Mystic Falls. And she was even more so now. And now Klaus was trying to take her away from him. He couldn't let that happen.

Because if Elena slept with Klaus Damon wasn't sure he could recover from that. Sure, sex could be meaningless for vampires. They were able to detach themselves. Humans had a hard time doing that. Especially if there was a kid involved. And Damon was not going to let Elena become attached in any way to Klaus.

Who was he kidding? He simply didn't want to share Elena with anyone else. Sharing was overrated. He knew that for a fact because he'd already gone that route hadn't he?

"Damon, are you listening to me?" Bonnie's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"What?" He didn't bother to hide his irritation.

"You need to test the blood bond theory." Bonnie said. "It's the only way to know for sure."

Was she serious? She wanted him to reach out to Klaus? To let Klaus know that they knew about the bond?

_Haha. Hello Damon._

Damon's body tensed. Klaus. It was true. He was in his mind, had been this whole time. Realizing that Klaus had indeed been manipulating his actions angered Damon.

"What is it?" Elena touched his arm. "What's wrong?"

"I don't have to reach out to Klaus. There is a blood bond, and he knows that we know about it."

_Of course I do. I know everything that's going on in your head, Damon. Now, it's time to bring your little party downstairs. I'm waiting._

Muttering a curse, Damon shook his head. No way. He would go downstairs alone. But how was he going to convince Elena to stay up here?

_I don't like to be kept waiting. Chop. Chop._

"He's downstairs." Damon looked at Elena.

As much as he hated the idea of her being anywhere near Klaus, especially now, he knew by the stubbornness in her eyes that she wouldn't agree to stay upstairs. He looked around the room at the anxious eyes focused on him. None of them would. So he might as well save his breath.

They all made their way downstairs, Damon leading the pack. Klaus was sprawled comfortably across the chair, a drink in his hand. Stefan and Katherine hovered cautiously around the fireplace. As soon as he heard them approaching Stefan's eyes focused on Elena. The longing Damon saw in them sent a protective surge through him. He turned to face Elena.

"Listen to me," Damon said quietly. "You _will_ stay back here with your friends."

Her eyes widened at the tone of authority in his voice. Swallowing nervously, she nodded. Damon looked at each of Elena's friends, letting his eyes speak for him. They all nodded and gathered around Elena, forming a protective circle.

"Well, I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed." Klaus swirled the whiskey in his glass. "Things were supposed to go differently tonight. But Elena and I will just have to schedule another date. It's poetic for my first heir to be conceived by myself and someone from the Petrova bloodline. Don't you think?"

An image of Klaus and Elena in bed flashed in Damon's mind, making him growl deep in his chest. "Not happening."

"Oh it will Damon. Whether you like it or not. You see, Elena has already promised herself to me." Klaus sipped his drink.

"And I'm telling you that I am not going to let you have her." Damon asked as he walked over to fix himself a drink. He was not going to let Klaus rattle him again. "Now, why are you still here?"

"It seems that I may have inadvertently created my first hybrid by curing your werewolf bite with my blood. Who knew? But it is doing wonderfully mysterious things to you. I thought I had it all worked out in my head, but now I see that I have no idea how my blood is truly affecting you. So now I will sit back and watch to see what happens."

_And I will have Elena, Damon. Eventually._ _I will have everything that is yours. I already have your dear brother. And Katerina.. It's only a matter of time before Elena is mine as well.._

Dropping his half raised glass, Damon rushed to stand in front of Klaus, who instantly jumped to his feet to meet him face to face. Shaking his head, Damon silently vowed that Klaus would never touch Elena again.

Klaus's golden eyes met Damon's ice blue, challenging gaze. _I might be able to be persuaded to leave Elena alone, at least for a while. That is, if you agree to do what I say. _

The implication of Klaus's words slid through him, making Damon's anger seethe once more. It was clear that he was going to have to play by Klaus's rules in order to protect Elena. He was going to have to give himself up to Klaus just like Stefan had done.

_That's the spirit. We can all work together. We'll be one big happy family._

Chest burning from holding her breath, Elena watched the silent standoff between Damon and Klaus. While they weren't speaking aloud, Elena could tell by Damon's eyes that they were communicating. She couldn't stand the fact that she didn't know what was being said, especially since Damon's body language told her that it had something to do with her.

Finally Damon stepped away from Klaus and Elena exhaled. Feeling a squeeze on her both of her hands, Elena looked to down to find that both Bonnie and Caroline had linked their hands with hers. She'd been so absorbed in Damon and Klaus that she hadn't even noticed. And she had to wonder if they had done so to show their support or to keep her from trying to intervene.

Damon returned to his abandoned drink. He picked up the bottle of whiskey and carried it over to refill Klaus's glass. Fear seized Elena as she watched them hold their glasses up to toast.

"Wait!" She tried to pull away from the group, but Bonnie and Caroline gripped her hands and the guys braced themselves in front of her. "What are you toasting? What's going on?"

"Quiet, Elena." Damon didn't even look at her. "It's done."

"What's done? Damon!"

Ignoring her, they clinked glasses and sipped their drinks. Then Klaus turned to look at Elena.

"Elena, love, come here." He crooked a finger at her. "Come on. You know I won't bite." He smirked.

Her friends stepped away from her as Elena slowly walked toward Klaus and Damon. She anxiously looked at Damon, who nodded. Holding her head up high, she stepped in front of Klaus and looked him straight in the eye.

"Ah, you do the Petrova name proud my dear. Unlike Katerina you are never the coward."

At the mention of Katherine Elena's eyes darted to the fireplace, where Katherine stood with Stefan. Katherine's arms were crossed over her chest and she was staring intensely at Elena. Her eyes were full of resentment. Stefan was staring intently at his brother.

Turning her attention back to Klaus, Elena said, "You promised that if I agreed to have a hybrid baby that you would leave Damon alone."

"I did." Klaus shrugged. "But Damon has persuaded me to postpone that part of my plan."

"That's not fair. You and I had a deal."

"Is it not fair enough that I allow both you and Damon to live?" Klaus placed his hands firmly on her shoulders; Damon's hand shot out to grip his arm. "Now. Don't worry, Elena. I am not finished with you just yet. I will be in touch."

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Gasping, Elena instinctively stepped away from Klaus and found herself backed against Damon's chest. His hands gripped her waist to steady her, easeing her anxiety almost instantly.

"Now," Klaus turned to Stefan and Katherine. "We must be on our way. Let's go hunting."

As the three of them left, Elena burrowed her face in Damon's chest. So many emotions were running churning within her it was overwhelming. Trembling, she gripped Damon's shirt to hold herself upright as a wave of dizziness washed over her, nearly sending her toppling to the floor.

Damon scooped her into his arms and carried her toward the stairs. "Baby, you need to get some rest. You feel feverish."

Elena nodded as he carried her into the bedroom and gently tucked her into bed. He kissed her forehead before straightening. She grabbed his arm.

"Damon, don't leave me. Please."

"Okay." He crawled into bed next to her and gathered her into his arms.

As she snuggled against him, Elena silently wished that things could be different. That Damon wasn't some vampire-werewolf-in-the-making. That she and Damon could live a normal life. She knew that when she woke up things would be the same, but she allowed herself to dream that things were different as she gently drifted off to sleep.


	31. Chapter 31

As Elena slept, Damon stroked her hair. What a crazy day it had been, and it wasn't even noon yet. Thankfully, Elena had been able to fall asleep. Seeing her so weak and tired tore him up inside. Her skin was pale, and she had dark circles under her eyes. He only hoped that it was indeed the flu, or stress, and not something worse that was making her ill.

Jeremy appeared in the doorway. Putting a finger to his lips, Damon gently untangled himself from Elena. Sighing in her sleep, lost in her dreams, she smiled as she snuggled deeper into the blanket.

When Damon turned to leave, he saw that Jeremy gazing intently at his sleeping sister. The ferocity of the boy's love and adoration for his sister was clearly written all over his face. While Damon's devotion to Elena was just as intense, it was evident that Jeremy's bond with Elena was on a whole different level. The two siblings had been through so much, suffered through so much, together. He knew that Elena felt the same way about Jeremy. The bond between them was undeniably solid.

For a brief second Stefan's face popped into Damon's mind, but he quickly shoved it away as he followed Jeremy downstairs. Going there was _not_ a good idea today. His emotions were already all over the place. Thinking about his brother's situation was only going to upset him even more.

"What's up, Jeremy?" Damon asked as they got to the bottom of the steps. It was quiet. "Where is everyone?"

"Matt is kind of freaked out by this whole Klaus baby thing. He took off, and Caroline went after him. Uh, Ric said he had to get something from his place." Jeremy glanced upstairs as he walked toward the study. "And Bonnie is probably sitting in your room right now watching Elena sleep."

"Uh huh. Look, I'm starving." Damon started to go down the hall, but Jeremy stopped him by holding up a glass of blood. "Well, okay then."

Damon took the glass from Jeremy and sipped it. A few tense seconds ticked by as Damon watched Jeremy fidget over the rim of his glass. "Okay. I can tell by the look on your face that you want to talk." Damon sank onto the couch. "What's on your mind?"

"What the hell is going on, Damon?" Jeremy plopped into the chair. "I mean, Klaus intends to get my sister pregnant. What are we going to do about this? More importantly, what are _you_ going to do about this?"

"Jeremy, I told you that I would do whatever it takes to keep your sister safe." He took another drink of blood.

"And if Klaus suddenly decides that he wants you off running around killing people with him and Stefan?" Jeremy scowled. "I'm not stupid, Damon. I know that when you and Klaus were doing your blood-bond-mind-thing that you were pledging yourself to Klaus in order to protect Elena. What happens when you're not here watching over her?"

The kid was smart. It was scary how well Jeremy could read him. Damon sighed. "How about we worry about that when the time comes? _If_ it comes."

"You don't get it do you?" Jeremy shook his head. "How can you love her so much and not understand her at all?"

Okay. Now the kid was starting to get on his nerves. "Whatever it is just spit it out Jeremy. My head is still spinning from everything that's happened today. Excuse me if I can't figure out your damn riddles."

"We have to figure out a plan to keep Klaus away from Elena. I won't just stand by and let him knock her up. And you had better not either."

"Jesus, Jeremy! I don't want that either! That's why I'm agreeing to doing whatever Klaus wants!" Damon was in Jeremy's face in an instant. "I don't know what else you want me to say!"

Unflinching, Jeremy's gaze stayed on Damon's. "You know she's going to go behind your back again to try to keep you from being under Klaus's thumb. She already has once. You and I both know she won't hesitate to do it again."

Turning away from the teenager, Damon let his statement was over him. The kid was right, and they both knew it. Elena had proven that she didn't have any problems negotiating with Klaus behind Damon's back. And she would continue to do so if she thought she could keep everyone else safe from Klaus's games.

"So what is your plan to keep my sister from sacrificing herself for you?" Jeremy asked calmly. "Because you promised me that you would keep Elena safe."

"I honestly don't know, Jeremy."

Feeling like he was going to explode, Damon began to anxiously pace the room. He needed to get out of this house. He needed to clear his head. Groaning in frustration he fisted his hands at his sides, fighting for control. Damn. The urge to hunt, to kill was so strong.

_I am hunting right now, Damon. Why don't you come join me?_

Klaus's mental chuckle reminded Damon that his mind was not his own. This was the worst possible situation. How in the hell was he supposed to keep Elena safe from Klaus when Klaus knew everything that was going on his head?

_ How indeed?_

"Damon."

"What?" Damon whirled on Jeremy. His eyes flashed, making Jeremy finally back up. Gritting his teeth, he snarled, "I don't think I can handle anything else right now Jeremy. So unless it's life or death I suggest you keep it to yourself."

When Elena opened her eyes she found Bonnie sitting beside her, watching her sleep. It was creepy.

"What are you doing Bonnie?" Her voice was raspy because her throat hurt.

"What's it look like I'm doing?" Bonnie smiled. "I'm watching you sleep and worrying about you."

"Worrying?"

"Of course I'm worried about you. You're sick. You're face is pale, and your cheeks are flushed. Not to mention you agreed to let Klaus get you pregnant Elena," Bonnie said incredulously. "What were you thinking?"

"Can't lose Damon too." Elena didn't have the energy to try to explain any further. Her thoughts were getting all muddled together.

"Damn it, Elena. This is _you_ we're talking about. How could you agree to have a kid with that monster?"

Pushing herself up onto her elbows, Elena started to defend herself but stopped when the room started to spin. Her arms gave out, and she plopped back onto the bed.

"Elena?" Bonnie leaned over her.

"So dizzy. And hot," Elena whispered. Her head hurt. Actually, her whole body ached.

Reaching out to touch Elena's forehead, Bonnie gasped. "Elena, you're burning up." She stood up and went into the bathroom. When she came back she pressed a cool cloth to Elena's forehead.

"I feel like crap," Elena croaked.

"Damon!"

Damon was beside the bed in an instant. He gripped Elena's hand. "Hey baby. You doing okay?"

"I need a thermometer, Damon." Bonnie looked at him. Elena noticed the alarm in her eyes. "She's burning up. We have to see how high her temperature is."

"I don't have one." Damon glanced over his shoulder. "What? I've never needed one!"

"I'm on it." Jeremy had appeared in the doorway. "I'll be back."

"Damon," Elena whispered as her eyes fluttered. Her head was suddenly fuzzy. She couldn't think straight, couldn't keep her eyes open. "So tired. And I hurt."

"Shh. Just rest." Damon smoothed her hair back from her flushed face. "Bonnie, what the hell am I supposed to do here?"

Closing her eyes, Elena drifted along the edge of sleep. She felt light, like she was floating in the air. And her hearing was muffled, as if she were underwater. It sounded like Damon and Bonnie were arguing about her. She knew she should try to intervene, but she couldn't find the strength to care. She just wanted to sleep.

As she drifted into a fitful sleep, her mind swirled with images of Damon, Stefan and Klaus. Each image was smiling at her, kissing her, one right after the other. And then Damon and Stefan were fighting again. Klaus watched, grinning that devious grin of his.


	32. Chapter 32

Elena's head thrashed on the pillow as her breathing became more and more ragged. Her lips moved as she muttered incomprehensively. Even with his vamp hearing, Damon couldn't make out what she was saying.

"Damon her temperature is too high. And it's getting worse. I don't need a thermometer to know that." Bonnie returned from the bathroom with a fresh cool cloth. Elena whimpered as soon as it touched her skin. "We need to get her in your tub. Carry her."

It dawned on Damon that the water was indeed running in the bathroom. Quickly scooping Elena into his arms, he made his way to the tub. Bonnie was right; Elena was way too hot.

As he yanked her shirt over her head, Elena began to mutter again. And this time he could make out what she was saying. "Stefan. Stefan. No. Stefan. Please."

Each time he heard his brother's name was a stab straight into Damon's heart. He tried to tell himself that Elena was delirious with fever. It didn't mean anything that she was saying Stefan's name.

"Elena," Bonnie said calmly as Damon set Elena into the water. "Honey, look at me. Open your eyes."

"Bon-nie." Elena sighed as her head sagged to the side. Bonnie caught it just in time to keep it from going underwater. "Klaus. Stef-an. No."

Bonnie reached for the necklace to unclasp it form Elena's neck. "Now we-" Hissing, she recoiled.

"What?" Damon asked.

Frowning, Bonnie shook her head. "Nothing. Bent my thumbnail back. Now we wait for it to work." Raising her worried gaze to meet his, Bonnie said quietly, "She's so hot. We need to get her temperature down fast."

Elena's cheeks were bright red, as if she'd overexerted herself. And her breathing was shallow. What the hell was going on? Even though he hadn't had to worry about sickness for a long time Damon knew this situation was serious.

"She's still too hot. It's not working fast enough." Bonnie looked at Damon. "Do you think your blood might help? Does it work on viruses?"

"I have no idea."

Darting a glance at Elena, Bonnie whispered, "It's worth a try. Do it Damon. Give her some of your blood."

"What?" Damon had to admit that the thought had crossed his mind. But his blood was tainted with Klaus's. And Damon didn't want any part of Klaus near Elena. Especially not his blood since it apparently wasn't like normal vampire blood.

"It might help her body fight whatever this is, Damon. Give. Her. Your. Blood."

Shaking his head, Damon stared at Bonnie. He couldn't believe that she was actually suggesting this. Did she not remember that they had just figured out that he shared a blood bond with Klaus? There was no way he could chance Elena taking his blood. What if something went wrong?

"Bonnie, think about what you're saying." Damon's eyes were still focused on Elena. He couldn't just stand by and watch her die. There had to be another way.

"Stop thinking and do it!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"No."

"What do you mean no? Damon she could die if her fever doesn't go down!"

He pulled out his phone and dialed. When the call went straight to Caroline's voicemail he almost threw it at the wall. Of all the times for Caroline to let her phone die! Then he dialed again and waited while it rang.

_ "You've reached Katherine. I'm obviously too busy to take your call right now. Leave a message, and I might get back to you when I'm free."_

"Damn it. Katherine, get your ass back here now. It's Elena. She's sick. I don't want to give her my blood because it's tainted."

Bonnie stared at Damon as understanding shone in her eyes. "I didn't even think about the Klaus thing. I forgot about the blood bond."

"Lucky you." Damon smirked. "Wish I could."

"But what if it's more powerful? Damon, it could be just what Elena needs."

He looked into Bonnie's frightened brown eyes. He couldn't blame her for wanting to take a chance with his blood. After all she loved Elena too. "I can't risk it, Bonnie. Not when there's another option." He sighed heavily. "If we don't hear back from Katherine in a few minutes, I'll do it. But otherwise it's too risky."

"And if Elena doesn't have a few minutes?" Bonnie asked quietly.

"Damon."

Damon whirled around to find Stefan standing in the bathroom doorway. What the fuck was he doing here? He'd called Katherine.

"Klaus sent me instead of Katherine." Stefan's eyes fell on Elena's naked body in the tub. "What's wrong with her?"

Of course Klaus had sent Stefan. This was the perfect opportunity for Klaus to mess with Damon's head. Klaus knew what was happening because of the blood bond. He also probably knew that Damon was pissed about Elena muttered Stefan's name.

_Of course I do. It's your choice, Damon. Your blood or your brother's. Personally, I'd give her yours if I were you._

Of course he would.

"She has a really high fever." Bonnie swallowed nervously. "It's not coming down fast enough." She looked at Damon. "We think blood might help, but Damon doesn't want to risk using his."

His eyes still focused on Elena, Stefan nodded stiffly.

Gritting his teeth, Damon turned around and stalked out of the bathroom. Just because he was going to allow Elena to drink Stefan's blood didn't mean he was going to stand there and watch it happen.

Drifting through a fog, Elena slowly became aware of her body again. While she felt slightly better, she could barely muster up the strength to open her eyes. When she did, she was sure she was dreaming. Because there was no way that Stefan was standing in Damon's bedroom, staring out the window.

"Stefan?" Elena whispered hoarsely.

"Elena." Bonnie's face filled Elena's vision. "Oh, honey. How are you feeling?" There was a cool, light touch to her forehead. "You're still really hot. I'll get another wash cloth. Stefan?"

"So tired. Where's…" Too tired to finish the question, Elena drifted back into a twilight sleep.

Cool lips brushed against hers. "I wish things were different."

At the whispered words, Elena's eyes fluttered open again. Stefan's smiling face filled her vision. She didn't understand. Where was Damon? "Stefan? What's happening?"

"Shh. You're sick, my love. You need to drink some more."

Elena's eyelids were so heavy. Her head felt like it was full of cotton. "You…still…love me."

"Shhh. Drink."

Suddenly, something wet and metallic tasting filled her mouth. As quiet urgings to drink filled her ears, Elena slowly nursed until she tumbled back into a deep slumber.


	33. Chapter 33

Downstairs Damon sat in the chair as he sipped his whiskey. He hadn't been able to stay in the room with Bonnie, Jeremy, and Stefan. At least Elena's temperature was finally receding. She'd even woken up briefly. He'd heard her whispered words from his seat down here, where he'd been sitting since he'd tucked Elena back into bed.

Bonnie had suggested that Stefan stay a little while longer in case Elena needed more of his blood. While he knew it made sense, Damon hated the idea. But he had gone along with it because it was in the best interest for Elena.

Damon heard the door swoosh open as Alaric entered the house. Even though he didn't say anything, Damon could feel Alaric's eyes on him.

"What?" Damon demanded.

"Why don't you tell me," Alaric said from the hall. "You sitting here scowling with a drink in your hand is never a good sign. What's going on?"

"Elena's sick."

"She's worse?"

"Turned into her own personal space heater. Bonnie and I dunked her in the tub. Didn't work, so I called Katherine to give her blood. Didn't trust mine."

"Did it work?" Alaric glanced at the stairs. It was obvious that he wanted to go see with his own eyes.

"Go see for yourself." Damon sipped his drink as Alaric started up the stairs. "Try not to stake Stefan while you're up there."

Freezing on the stairs, Alaric gaped at Damon. "He's here?" Understanding flashed across his face.

"Klaus decided Katherine was too busy to come help, so he sent my brother instead." Holding his glass up so that the light reflecting in the amber liquid Damon watched the amber liquid swirl as he gently shook the glass.

"Oh."

Damon stood up. "You gonna stay for a while?" He needed to get out of this house before he drove himself crazy.

"You need me to?"

"Yes. I'm going to run out. Maybe go get Elena some soup from the Grill for when she wakes up."

"You sure that's wise, given your surly mood?"

Shrugging, Damon said, "Probably not."

He walked out of the house and got into his car to drive to the Grill. He tried not to think about how Elena had been mumbling Stefan's name, pleading with him, while she'd been out of it. But he couldn't help it. Shit, she'd even muttered Klaus's name.

"Let it go, Salvatore," Damon muttered to himself as he pulled up to the Grill.

Hushed whispering brought Elena out of her deep sleep. She listened quietly as she slowly woke up. Bonnie, Alaric, Jeremy. They were talking about her. Worrying about her.

"She's waking up." Stefan's voice came from the other side of the room.

What was Stefan doing here? And how come she didn't hear Damon? Why wasn't he rushing to her beside? What had happened while she'd been sleeping? Remembering, she gasped and bolted upright in the bed. "Damon!"

"Whoa!" Jeremy rushed to her, grasping her hand. "Take it easy, Elena."

Although she was lightheaded, Elena frantically looked around the room. "Where's Damon? What did you do to him, Stefan? Where is he? Oh God!"

"Shh! Elena, calm down." Jeremy gently pushed her shoulders, trying to get her to lie back down. "Damon went to get you some soup. He's fine. He'll be back soon."

The image of Stefan killing Damon dissolved in her mind. Had it been a dream after all then? Struggling to remember, Elena placed her hand at her temple. She'd started feeling really bad. She vaguely remembered water. And blood. She'd drunk someone's blood. Its tanginess lingered on her tongue. Her eyes met Stefan's green gaze. She'd drunk _Stefan's_ blood.

"Hey." Bonnie smiled. "You're going to be okay. Although I have to admit, you gave us a pretty good scare. How do you feel now?"

"O-okay. Tired. Confused."

"I'm going to go now." Stefan started to leave the room, but Elena asked him to stay. Casting a glance at the others, she asked them for privacy.

"No way in hell," Jeremy said.

"Not a chance," Alaric said.

"No. It's okay." Bonnie squeezed Elena's hand. "He can't hurt her."

While the guys started to protest, Bonnie hushed them and pushed them out the door. Once they were alone, an awkward silence settled between Elena and Stefan. This was the first time they'd been alone since he'd run off with Klaus. So much had happened over the last few weeks, forever changing things between them.

"Thank you for helping me," Elena said.

As his eyes met hers, Elena's heart raced as she saw the familiar stirrings of love lurking in their depths. Was it possible that Stefan wasn't as far gone as everyone thought? And then she remembered the whisper of his lips against hers.

"You're welcome," Stefan said thickly. Then he cleared his throat, and his eyes went flat. "I did what Klaus asked, and now I must return to him." He turned to leave.

"Stefan, wait." Elena reached out to grasp his hand. He froze at her touch, and then he quickly yanked his arm away from her.

"Elena, don't." While she knew he'd meant the words to be hard, Elena heard the emotion behind them.

"Stefan, I can see the emotions hiding in your eyes. You don't want to, but you still care about me. You kissed me earlier. And you called me 'my love' again."

"No, I didn't. You were delirious from the fever. I don't love you anymore Elena." Eyes flashing angrily, Stefan turned to look at her. "Let it go. Let me go."

Shaking her head, Elena said, "No. You're lying. For some reason you want us all to think that you don't care anymore. But I know you do."

"You're right. I do care," he snarled. "About Katherine. It's always been about Katherine. I thought you were her when I rescued you from that car. I stayed in Mystic Falls because every time I looked at you I was reminded of her. The real Katherine is back now, and so am I. This is who I am now, Elena. Deal with it."

He disappeared as Elena inhaled sharply as the cold shock of his words washed over her.


	34. Chapter 34

**I know it has been a few months since I've updated. I apologize. Life got crazy and I hit wall after wall when I had time to write. I think I'm finally back on track. It has been a journey. I think I've rewritten the next 5 chapters about eight times, if not more. I'm still not completely happy with the way some things have turned out, but the characters have been quite insistent and have taken charge of the story. Funny how that happens. Anyway, I hope you enjoy these chapters. The end is in sight! Happy reading! **

Once Damon had placed his order for Elena's soup with a concerned Matt, Damon leaned against the bar as a drink instantly appeared at his elbow. He stared at Caroline, who was across the room talking to Tyler. She looked up, frowned, and quickly made her way to the bar. Tyler was right on her heels.

"Damon, what are you doing here?" Caroline asked. "Shouldn't you be with Elena?"

"If you wanted to be kept in the loop then maybe you shouldn't let your phone die."

"What?" She pulled her phone from her pocket to check it. "What happened? Is Elena okay?"

"She is now, no thanks to you."

"Forget it. I'll just go check on her myself." Caroline stalked off.

"Why do you always have to be such a dick?" Tyler growled before he took off after Caroline.

"Ever the obedient little puppy," Damon muttered into his drink.

"Oh dear." Darcy wiped the bar in front of him. "You don't look very happy today." She glanced around the Grill before leaning onto the bar. "Anything I can do to help cheer you up?"

"Dear Darcy." Damon leaned forward and cupped her face. "You're so sweet for offering." He stroked her lower lip with his thumb. "But I am going to have to pass. You understand."

Nodding, Darcy smiled. "Wow. She's got you good, huh?"

"Or maybe he just prefers spicy instead of sweet." Marissa's voice sent a shiver through Damon.

Damn it. He did not need this right now. Or maybe he did. Killing her would be even more satisfying, given his current mood. God, he ached for the satisfaction of the kill.

_That's it. Go in for the kill Damon. _

"Or maybe he's just being loyal to his girlfriend." Darcy glared at Marissa.

"Ooh. He's gotten to you too hasn't he?" Marissa laughed. "Things sure have changed." She leaned against the bar, plucked the glass from Damon's hand, and swallowed the last of his drink. "So many people around here are so protective of you, baby. I have to admit that it does make me jealous. You know I don't like to share. How is little Elena doing? Oh, that's right. She's with little brother right now."

Forcing himself not to react, Damon let the realization that Marissa had been hanging around his house sink in. Of course she had been. After all, wasn't she the epitome of a stalker?

"Why so quiet baby?" Marissa leaned in and wound her arms around his neck. "Worrying about your girl remaining faithful?"

"Cut it out, Rissa." Damon was not going to let her get inside his head and fuck with his mind this time. It was bad enough that he had Klaus doing it already.

"Aww, come on." Marissa whispered in his ear, "I will always be here for you. Don't forget that. So when you're precious little Elena tosses you aside for little brother, I'll be waiting."

As her glossy red lips touched his cheek, Damon steeled himself against the urge to throw her against the wall. As Matt walked up with the to-go bag in his hand, Damon silently thanked him for his timing.

"You okay?" Bonnie asked as she came back into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

Shaking her head, Elena sighed heavily. Bonnie had been wrong. Stefan _had_ hurt her. He'd known exactly what to say to cut her the deepest. Throwing Katherine in her face would always hurt Elena. She knew it was stupid and insecure of her, but it was the truth.

"Hey. Want to talk about it?" Bonnie smoothed Elena's hair.

"Not really." Elena hugged the pillow to her chest. "You were wrong when you said Stefan couldn't hurt me."

"Well, I meant physically." Bonnie gave her a half smile. "I don't think anyone can ever be protected from emotional pain."

Frowning, Elena looked at her. "What are you talking about? What exactly did you mean when you said Stefan couldn't hurt me?"

Bonnie nodded her head at Elena's necklace. "That's why." Elena immediately grasped the cameo. "Remember that necklace that Damon gave to Caroline?"

"Your talisman?"

"Yep. This is yours."

"What?" Elena gripped the cameo. Her heartache over Stefan's admission eased as Damon's face flashed through her mind.

"I told you that there was a lot of love in that necklace, Elena." Smiling, Bonnie reached out to caress the delicate ivory. "Apparently when Damon gave it to you, your love for each other bound you together through this necklace. So now it protects you from harm. When someone tries to hurt you, this necklace prevents them from doing so."

Remembering how Klaus had suddenly stopped his attack on her, Elena found herself wondering if it had been because of the necklace. He had even admitted that he hadn't understood why he couldn't follow his instincts. Was it possible that the necklace's magic had stopped him?

"And it's not just you that it protects, Elena," Bonnie said, interrupting Elena's thoughts. "I think it helps Damon too. When Damon is losing control, I've noticed that you subconsciously grasp the pendant. And then Damon regains control. It happened with Klaus and then when he was attacking Caroline."

"But how is this possible?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I don't know. Look, all I know is that there's a lot of power in that necklace. I've felt it. And when I tried to remove it while you were in the tub it shocked me."

"Like yours when Caroline tried to snatch it from your neck." Elena frowned and chewed on her lower lip. "But this was Damon's mother's. I don't understand."

"Who knows how this happened. But it has happened. And as long as you wear that necklace, you're protected by Damon's love for you."

Sinking back against the pillows, Elena lost herself in her thoughts. So this necklace protected her from physical harm. Wow. It was an amazing thought. But how had this happened? How had this necklace come across its magic?

"Elena!" Caroline rushed into the room, followed by a hesitant Tyler. Engulfing Elena in a hug, Caroline said, "Are you okay?"

"Oof." Elena smiled as Caroline released her. "I'm much better now."

"I am so sorry that my phone died. What happened?"

Bonnie and Elena filled Caroline and Tyler in on what had happened. While Caroline listened in shocked amazement, Elena watched Tyler's face. When he heard that Stefan had shared his blood with Elena, understanding dawned in his golden brown eyes.

"Tyler?" Elena looked at him. "Why do you look like something suddenly makes sense?"

"Oh, nothing." He scuffed his foot on the floor.

"Tyler." Caroline looked at him closely. "You're lying. What's going on?"

Tyler shrugged. "It's just that I get Damon's mood now."

"You saw him?" Elena sat up. "What do you mean his mood?"

"We saw him at the Grill. He was acting all moody and snapped at Caroline. Makes sense now." Tyler smirked. "I'd be spoiling for a fight too if my girl was suddenly getting intimate like that with her ex."

"You think he's spoiling for a fight?" Elena's stomach quivered. This was not good. She had known that it must have been hard for Damon to allow her to drink Stefan's blood. After learning about her deal with Klaus, Damon had already been teetering on the edge. She could only hope that this hadn't pushed him over.

"Hey." Matt's voice had everyone looking at the door, where he held up a Mystic Grill bag. "Feel like some soup?"

"I thought Damon was bringing that." Dread filled Elena as she looked at Matt, whose eyes shifted away nervously. "Where is he?"

"Um, he asked me to bring it. He was…talking to that Marissa chick. And then Stefan walked in."


	35. Chapter 35

Relieved to hear that Elena was doing much better, Damon fought the urge to race home to see it with his own eyes. But he'd sent Matt in his place because he couldn't trust Marissa with Stefan. Although Stefan was stronger now, Damon knew that Marissa was manipulative enough to find a way to get under his brother's skin. She'd done it before. And Damon refused to let this bitch have her way with his brother again.

"So let me get this straight?" Marissa purred as she looked at Damon. "Your little human was deathly ill, and you let her drink little brother's blood to heal her?" Chuckling, she shook her head. "Why not just give her yours?"

"Long story." The brothers said in unison.

"Oh wow. It must be a very good story if you two are suddenly on the same page again." Her green eyes narrowed. "Or maybe you guys just get off on sharing the same woman after all?" She stepped towards Stefan as she licked her lips. "You do look exceptionally delicious today, little brother."

Instantly, Damon put himself between Marissa and Stefan. "Cut it out, Rissa," he hissed.

Eyes flashing in amusement, Marissa laughed. "You still aren't willing to share me with him are you Damon?" She stepped forward to rub herself against him.

_Oh Damon. You do have a little firecracker on your hands here. Mmmm._

Great. This was just what he needed right now. How was he supposed to keep Marissa away from Stefan while Klaus was messing around in his head, manipulating his feelings? Because that was the only explanation Damon could find for the rush of lust suddenly flaring within him. Or maybe it was just the effect Marissa had on him. Shit. He couldn't be sure. He had no way of knowing if his thoughts and feelings were his own any more.

_Who cares? I think you should just go with it. She's ripe for the taking, Damon. Go for it._

Of course Klaus would push him into having sex with Marissa. He knew it would drive a wedge between Damon and Elena.

"Stefan, you delivered your message." Damon glanced over his shoulder. He needed Stefan to leave before things got ugly here. "Now get out of here."

"Maybe we should all get out of here," Marissa whispered into Damon's ear before she sucked its lobe into her mouth.

Stefan growled. "You need to get back to Elena. I'll take care of Marissa."

"Oooh." Marissa bit her lower lip and slowly pulled back from Damon. "Are you two going to fight over me now?"

_Remember when you said you would do anything I say?_

Surely he was kidding. Klaus didn't really expect him to have sex with Marissa did he?

_Why, yes I do. I've seen your memories, Damon. You know you will enjoy every delicious, degrading second of it. As will I._

"You're boss is a sick bastard, you know that?" Damon cast a pointed look at Stefan as he clasped Marissa's hand in his. "Let's get out of here, Rissa."

As Damon pulled a giggling Marissa behind him, he heard Stefan curse under his breath as Klaus's sadistic laughter filled his mind. He was so fucked.

"Well, well," Marissa said as Damon dragged her around to the back of the building. "I knew you would give in eventually, but I have to say, I was sure you'd put up more of a fight."

"Stop talking." Damon shoved her against the wall and hiked her legs around his waist as he kissed her. And he hated the way he hardened as soon as his tongue met hers.

_That's it Damon. _

Silently cursing Klaus in his mind, Damon let the lust wash through him, urging him on as he yanked Marissa's pants down her hips. Moaning, Marissa's hands went under his shirt to rake down his back, leaving eight dripping, fiery trails of blood in their wake.

Fuck. Damon couldn't believe this was happening. Having sex with Marissa was the absolute last thing he needed to do right now. Shit. It was the last thing he wanted to do right now. But he didn't have a choice.

"God, baby I have missed you." Marissa ripped his shirt from his body before sinking her fangs into his shoulder.

Hissing in pleasure, Damon's resistance crumbled as he let the monster inside him take over. Shoving Elena's face from his mind, Damon gripped Marissa's red curls in his hand and yanked her head from his shoulder. Crying out, she grinned as she clamped her thighs around his waist.

"What do you mean he's with Marissa? And Stefan?" Elena stared at Matt.

"Damon and Marissa were, uh, talking when Stefan walked up and told him that you were doing better. Then Damon handed me the soup and told me to bring it to you."

"Elena, you need to eat your soup." Bonnie said as she opened the Styrofoam bowl she'd removed from the bag. "You need to get your strength back up." Her eyes dropped to the cameo hanging around Elena's neck. "Damon will be okay."

Nodding, Elena silently caressed the cameo before spooning up some soup into her mouth. It was still warm. And she had to admit, she was hungrier than she'd realized. So she ate her soup, and tried not to worry about the fact that Damon was with Marissa. Hopefully he'd stake her once and for all. That's what he'd said he would do the next time he saw her.

"Elena, don't worry. Damon can take care of himself." Matt said. "He's a freaking vampire-wolf-thing."

Tyler's gaze met Elena's. They both knew how powerful Marissa was when it came to men. Chewing on her lower lip, Elena fought the urge to throw her soup to the floor. She hated the power that Marissa seemed to have over Damon. And then to top it off Damon was upset about Elena drinking Stefan's blood. Otherwise he wouldn't have disappeared without seeing her first.

"Um, I'm kind of hungry so I'm going to go," Caroline said as she smiled halfheartedly. "Elena, don't worry about Marissa. I'm sure Damon has already killed her. She crossed the line when she burned your house down. He won't tolerate that."

"I'm sure you're right, Care." Elena smiled weakly.

After Caroline left, Matt said he had to get back to work. Bonnie looked at Elena and Tyler and quickly made up an excuse to leave as well. Once they were alone, Tyler shrugged. Elena patted the bed next to her.

"Elena, you have no idea how about the type of person Marissa is," Tyler said. "Man, I can't believe I'm defending Damon."

"Trust me, Tyler," Elena said, "Damon told me all about Marissa."

Shaking his head, Tyler said, "I doubt that. I know how much Damon loves you, Elena. It's obvious to everyone around you. And it's because of that that I know for a fact he didn't tell you everything about Marissa. Because you couldn't handle it. Shit, I can't even handle thinking about it, and I've _been_ with her."

"Tyler." Elena reached out and took his hand. "She manipulated you too."

"You're right." Tyler nodded. "Caroline told me about Damon's eyes and the blood bond thing. If Damon somehow does have wolf in him now, then you have to understand that he really is not in control of himself right now. So if he did hook up with Marissa again, you can't read anything into it."

"I know all of this Tyler."

"No you don't." He stood up and began a restless pacing. "If being a vampire is anything like being a werewolf then Damon is doubly screwed. He has two monsters inside of him fighting for control. Everything about Marissa appeals to both beasts. And then you add Klaus's influence and he's royally screwed. I can't imagine what he's going through."

"Is that really what it's like? A monster fighting for control?"

"All of the time." Tyler looked at her and shrugged. "Guess that explains why I've always been such a hot head." He heaved a sigh. "I am so sorry that this all happened because of me. Elena, I never meant to cause you this much trouble."

"What are you talking about?"

"If I'd never bitten Damon then Stefan wouldn't have had to leave, and Damon wouldn't have this blood bond with Klaus. It's all my fault."

Elena climbed out of bed and hugged him. "Tyler, you didn't mean to bite him. It was an accident. And besides, if you hadn't then Klaus would have killed Damon in the sacrifice. And I never would have had the chance to be with him. Even with all of his faults, I love him."

"That's good." Tyler stepped away and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I think you're good for Damon. He needs someone to love him. He needs someone to believe in him." Tyler shrugged. "We all do."

Raising her eyebrows, Elena stared at him. "Aww. Tyler." She hugged him again before he quickly retreated from any more emotional talk.

Elena went back to the bed and picked her cell phone up. Knowing she would probably get voicemail if she called, she decided to send a text message instead. She wondered how long it would take to get a response. When her phone went of seconds later, she smiled.


	36. Chapter 36

Shaking his head to clear the sex-crazed haze, Damon stared at the scene before him. Stefan had Marissa pinned against the wall by her throat. One minute Damon and Marissa had been ripping each other's clothes off and the next minute Damon had found himself yanked away from her.

"I refuse to let you get to him again," Stefan snarled.

"Mmm, you want to take his place, little brother?" Marissa suggestively ran her tongue over her teeth.

"Stefan, what are you doing? I thought I told you to go," Damon hissed. "Let her go. Rissa is my problem, not yours."

"Get back to Elena."

Chuckling, Marissa reached out and stroked her hand up and down Stefan's arm. "Yes, baby. Run back to your little human while little brother and I get reacquainted."

"Cut it out, Rissa." Damon glared at her. "Katherine will rip you to shreds. She's a lot older than you, remember? You wouldn't stand a chance against her."

Winking, she said, "True. But you wouldn't let her hurt me. You and I both know that you won't let anyone hurt me."

Stefan pressed his arm against her throat even harder. "Why should my brother do anything to protect you? What is it that you have over him?"

Although Damon hated to admit it Marissa was right. He couldn't let anyone else hurt her. Remembering that promise transported Damon back to that fateful night.

_Damon stared down at the lifeless body of Marissa's brother Jack. He had snapped the worthless man's neck after seeing Marissa's bruised and bleeding face again. He'd warned Jack repeatedly about laying his hands on Marissa. _

_"Damon, what have you done?" Marissa had cried as she ran into the room. "Jack was all I had left! Now I have no one to take care of me!" And Marissa had flown against Damon, her hands pounding against his chest. "Now I have nothing!"_

_ "Stop." Damon had grabbed her by the wrists. The realization that he'd just made the girl's life worse instead of better hit him like punch in the gut. She was right. It was a man's world. "You have me. I'll take care of you, Rissa. I'll protect you forever."_

_ Her teary green eyes looked at him. "You promise?" _

_ "I promise." He had hugged her to his chest. "As long as I'm around I will never let anyone hurt you again. Ever."_

"Stefan, let her go." Damon reached out to grab Stefan by the shoulder. "I can handle her."

"Told you." Marissa smirked. "He might not want to, but your dear brother loves me."

Releasing Marissa, Stefan whirled around to face Damon. "You don't owe her anything anymore Damon! It's time to let her go. She gets into your head and fucks with your mind, Damon. And then you get all psycho crazy. That can't happen right now!"

"You are so fucking hot when you're on human blood." Marissa rubbed up against Stefan.

"Can it, Rissa." Damon stepped between them. "Let me make one thing clear. You. Are. Not. Fucking. My. Brother. If you do then we are finished. Once and for all."

Pouting, Marissa batted her eyelashes at him. "You don't mean that, baby. You could never deny yourself of me. Look at what almost happened before little brother showed up."

Narrowing his eyes, Damon said, "I mean it. You leave Stefan alone or I'll never fuck you again."

Throwing her head back in a hearty laugh, Marissa's eyes glittered in amusement. "You and I both know that I'm the one who does the fucking. Now, either I fuck you or I fuck little brother. Which one is it going to be?"

Staring at Marissa, Damon considered his options. He could just walk away and leave Marissa with Stefan, wash his hands of her once and for all. On human blood Stefan was stronger. Stefan would be able to handle whatever Marissa could dish out. Shit. Damon knew that was a lie. He knew firsthand what Marissa was capable of. And he knew that there was no way in hell his brother could handle it, human blood or not. Stefan wasn't damaged enough.

Besides, Klaus had made it pretty clear that Damon's first mission was to have sex with Marissa. Even if he lost Elena because of it, she would remain safe from Klaus. For the time being, anyway. And that was all that mattered to Damon at this point anyway.

"Let's go." Damon took Marissa by the elbow. "Where are you staying?"

"Damn it!" Stefan grabbed Damon by the front of his shirt. "Think about Elena, Damon. If you get involved with Marissa again then you'll lose her. Trust me."

The blazing pain in Stefan's eyes told Damon that he was right. Even on human blood, deep down Stefan was still Stefan. Part of Damon was glad that his brother was still holding on to his humanity. The other part of him hated him for it. It wasn't fair that Stefan was so much stronger than Damon, so much better than him.

Cringing, Damon said, "You still love her."

Stefan released Damon and turned away from him. "Of course I do. You should know how hard it is not to love her."

"She knows that you know."

Shaking his head, Stefan looked at him. "I told her earlier that the only reason I was ever with her was because she reminded me of Katherine."

Inhaling sharply, Damon's eyes widened. Stefan was right. By throwing Katherine in Elena's face like that Stefan had signed the death certificate on their relationship.

"Shit." Stefan looked behind him. "Where the hell did she go? It's not like Marissa to duck out on an opportunity to pit us against one another."

"Fuck." Damon knew exactly where Marissa was going. "Elena."

Feeling the air shift around her, Elena opened her eyes to see Katherine standing at the foot of Damon's bed. And for a split second, Elena thought she might have seen a whisper of concern in Katherine's eyes.

"You came." Elena pushed up into a sitting position. "Thank you."

Katherine crossed her arms over her chest. "You should be thanking me. It wasn't easy sneaking away from Klaus.

"You said you needed my help with something. This is becoming a habit."

"I want to get rid of Marissa."

Arching a brow, Katherine unfolded her arms and put her hands on her hips. "And by 'get rid of' I assume you mean kill her?" When Elena nodded, Katherine shook her head. "I can't kill her."

"I figured as much since Klaus is using her to try to break me and Damon up."

Admiration glittered in Katherine's brown eyes. Her dark red lips curved into a devilish smile. "I have to admit that I'm impressed. Instead of crying over Damon and Marissa, here you are plotting to kill her."

"Katherine, it's Damon. I'm not just going to wrap him up in a bow and hand him to her."

Laughing, Katherine said, "Klaus is right. You do the Petrova bloodline proud. So now that you know that I can't kill that bitch, tell me what exactly is it that you need me to do."

"You'll help me?"

"Elena, it's Damon." Katherine smirked as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I don't want that bitch around Damon any more than you do."

An agreeable silence settled between them as Elena digested Katherine's words. Both of them cared about Damon. Elena had known that, had even accepted it, on some level. But she would be lying if she said that the fact that Katherine still cared about Damon didn't scare her.

_"It's always been about Katherine." _Stefan's words reverberated in Elena's mind. Shaking her head, Elena told herself she was being ridiculous. Just because Stefan had chosen Katherine over her didn't mean that Damon would too.

Cocking her head to the side, Elena asked, "Are you sure you can help me? I'm assuming Klaus has compelled you not to kill her."

"I can't kill her. That's all I know." Flipping a few curls over her shoulder, Katherine sniffed. "And before you ask, yes you can trust me. This doesn't make us new BFFs or anything. I am helping you because I want Marissa gone. It has nothing to do with you really."

Smirking, Elena said, "I don't want to be friends, Katherine. I just need to know that I can trust you to carry out your end of the plan. For Damon."

Stiffening, Katherine scowled. "Someone's here." She flew to her feet just as Marissa appeared in the room within a rush of air.

"Well, it's nice to know that you can't kill me, Katherine." Marissa grinned triumphantly. "That will make this easier."

Elena gasped as Katherine blurred to stand in front of Marissa. "I might not be able to kill you, but I am still stronger and faster than you are. And I will enjoy hurting you." And then she stabbed Marissa in the stomach with a letter opener she'd grabbed from the bedside table.

"You underestimate my threshold for pain." Marissa licked her lips as she yanked the piece of metal from her chest. "You see, I enjoy pain more than most." She raked the letter opener down her arm, slicing her skin open. "In fact, it turns me on. So bring it on."

"You're not getting anywhere near Elena." Katherine grabbed Marissa's arm as she tried to stab her.

"Why not?" Marissa sneered. "Think about it, Kat. With her out of the picture, you wouldn't have to worry about Stefan ever getting back together with her."

"And let you have Damon? I don't think so."

Elena watched Marissa's eyes narrow on Katherine. "You still love him. And now I _am_ pissed." She kicked Katherine's feet out from under her, but Katherine recovered before she touched the floor.

Katherine flung Marissa against the wall. "Elena get out of here!"

Without hesitation Elena ran to the door only to have it slam in her face. Gripping the handle, she found it locked. But how could that be? It was supposed to lock from the inside. When she tried to turn the lock, it wouldn't budge.

"Elena!" Alaric's muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door. "What's going on?"

"Ric!" Elena screamed as Marissa snagged her by a handful of hair. "Call Damon!"

"I don't think so bitch!" Swinging a heavy brass candlestick, Katherine knocked Marissa away from Elena, who backed into the corner.

Popping her shoulder back into place, Marissa cackled in delight. "You can't win this one Katherine. You said yourself that you can't kill me. Just give it up. Think about it. We can team up. You can have Stefan; I'll take Damon. Think of the fun we'd have."

"There's one problem with that plan, Marissa." Katherine inched toward the bookshelf. "Klaus will kill you if you kill Elena. And then I'll have both of the Salvatores for myself." Katherine pulled a book from the shelf and snatched a wooden stake that was hidden within it. Growling, Katherine launched herself at Marissa, thrusting the stake into her stomach.

"Ooh." Marissa hissed as she plucked the stake from her shoulder and expertly threw it into Katherine's chest. As Katherine crumpled to the floor, Marissa turned to face Elena. "Time to say goodbye Elena."

Standing on shaky legs, Elena faced Marissa. "You do realize that if you kill me Damon will never forgive you right?"

She shrugged. "It will take him a little while, but he will eventually get over it. He always does. You wouldn't be the first lover of his I've killed." As she stepped closer to Elena, excitement flashed in her brilliant green eyes. "Anyway, it will be worth it just to see Damon and Stefan no longer fighting over you. Goodbye Elena."

This was it. It was time to see if Bonnie was right about her necklace. And if the necklace didn't save her, then the joke was on Marissa. Stefan's blood was still fully in Elena's system.

A sickening sucking sound filled the air and Elena watched in horror as Marissa's head tumbled from her body and landed on the floor with a sickening thump. The floor tilted and Elena's legs collapsed. Strong arms caught her and carried her to the bed as white dots blurred her vision.

"There you go love. You're okay."


	37. Chapter 37

As Damon and Stefan flew through the window, they were met with the sight of Katherine sitting in the floor, removing a stake from her chest and Klaus hovering above Elena. Racing across the room to pull the hybrid away from her, Damon was abruptly halted by the sight of Marissa's headless body lying in a heap on the floor.

A mixture of shock, relief and regret boiled in Damon's stomach. He was finally free. Marissa was gone. He would never see her again. And once again he'd failed.

As he looked down at Marissa's headless corpse, Damon felt a pang of guilt in his chest at not having kept his word to the girl he'd once cared about. She'd never asked for this life. It had been thrust upon her all because of him.

"Katherine, are you all right?" Stefan asked as he knelt beside her.

"Nothing a little blood won't cure. Elena?" Katherine thrust herself to her feet.

"I'm right here." Elena said from the bed. "I'm okay." Her brown eyes met Damon's. "Klaus killed Marissa."

Remorse flooded Damon as he watched Elena take Klaus's hand, squeeze it, and thank him for saving her. This was twice now in the same day that Damon hadn't been able to save her. And he hated himself for it.

"I couldn't just stand by and watch her kill you, love." Klaus kissed the back of Elena's hand. "It would have ruined my plans. Besides," he turned to look at Damon, "if anyone kills you it is going to be me."

Anger welled inside Damon as he and Klaus stared at one another. A wave of power flowed from Klaus and the lock clicked on the bedroom door. Alaric came in carrying blood bags. Stefan took them and ripped one open before handing it to Katherine.

"She was going to kill you, and you didn't even flinch." Klaus turned back to Elena. "You're bravery amazes me."

Damon cringed as a ripple of Klaus's admiration for Elena flowed through him. The thought that Klaus was starting to care for Elena had Damon's fists clenching at his sides.

"Well it helped that I knew I wouldn't really be gone. Stefan's blood is still in my system." Elena looked at Damon, who was frozen in place. "If Marissa had killed me I would have come back as a vampire."

Damon had forgotten about Stefan's blood. While the realization that he wouldn't have lost her forever provided a bit of comfort, Damon couldn't help but cringe at the thought of Elena losing her humanity.

"What the hell happened?" Alaric asked.

Elena told them about Marissa showing up and fighting with Katherine, then Klaus showing up and killing her. When Alaric asked what Katherine had been doing here in the first place, Elena told them about he plan to kill Marissa.

"Well thank God you were here." Alaric looked at Katherine. "But why didn't you just kill her? You're older and stronger."

"That would be my fault actually," Klaus said. "I had compelled both Stefan and Katerina, preventing them from killing Marissa."

"What? Why?"

"Because he wanted me to kill her." Damon looked at Klaus.

Nodding, Klaus said, "Yes. I thought that maybe if you killed one of your own kind then you would fully release the wolf inside you. But now I see that things are going differently with you. I'm not sure what my blood is doing to you any more."

"That's why you tried to get me to kill Stefan, then Caroline."

"Correct." Klaus walked over to Katherine and looked into her eyes. "Are you well enough now my dear?" When she nodded, he turned to look at Damon. "I'll be in touch. Stefan, dispose of Marissa."

Klaus and Katherine disappeared through the window, leaving Stefan behind. He silently walked over to stand beside Damon as they both stared at her headless body. Stefan placed a hand on Damon's shoulder and squeezed briefly before leaning down to retrieve her head from under the bed. Damon averted his eyes as his brother scooped up Marissa's body and disappeared out the window.

Once Stefan had gone, Alaric quickly excused himself and left the room. Finally alone, Damon and Elena looked at each other.

"Damon, you haven't spoken to me since you got here." Elena's voice was so calm, so quiet, that Damon's resolve shattered.

Dismissing all thoughts of Marissa, Stefan and Klaus from his mind, Damon rushed to Elena and scooped her into his arms. His lips crushed against hers, his tongue demanding entrance to her hot, warm mouth. Her mouth welcomed him instantly as her tongue met his. Her moan vibrated through him.

Pinning her against the bed, Damon's hands roamed her body as their kiss deepened. Relieved to find her skin cool again, Damon caressed the silky skin of her side along her ribcage and down to the elastic band of her panties. With a single jerk, the flimsy fabric disappeared down her legs. Finding her swollen, hot, and wet he shuddered excitedly.

Her hands gripped his shoulders as he delved two fingers inside her, grinning as he felt her muscles clench around them. As he began to pump his fingers slowly in and out of her, Elena's head thrashed against the pillow, her hips arching to drive them deeper.

Kissing her neck, Damon fought the urge to pierce her creamy skin with his fangs. He knew he couldn't because she was still recovering. She needed all of the blood flowing through her veins, especially Stefan's, to help her recover.

The thought of Elena drinking from Stefan had him freezing instantly. As if she could read his mind, Elena gripped his face and looked lovingly into his eyes. Then she smiled before she pressed her lips against his. At first her lips moved gently against his and then they became more insistent as her tongue darted past his lips and began to explore his mouth, caressing it, claiming it as hers and hers alone. He groaned as her tongue met his, delightfully claiming control and domination of this kiss. She moaned as her tongue raked along the sharp edges of his fangs.

They both cried out as Damon plunged into her, going as deeply as he could. Pausing briefly to let the pleasure of him being completely and fully inside of Elena, connected in the most primal way possible, wash over him, Damon gazed into her smiling face. She was his. He was hers. He just hoped it was enough to get them through whatever happened next.

Elena's heart clenched at the flash of sadness she saw in Damon's eyes as he hovered above her.

"Damon?"

He shook his head and the look was gone, replaced with one of love and devotion. And then he was moving within her at a wonderful pace. Arching her hips to meet Damon thrust for thrust, the familiar, delicious pressure began to build inside her. Gasping, she gripped his biceps as she lurched forward to kiss his lips, his cheek, his neck, his shoulder.

The room around them faded away as Elena welcomed the waves of pleasure that were coursing through her, creating a delectable pressure deep within her. And with each kiss, each stroke, she climbed higher and higher. Her breath quickened, coming in harsh gasps as every nerve ending in her body tingled in anticipation of release.

Everything about Damon, his touch, his scent, his taste, awakened her body in a way she'd never before experienced. She'd never felt so whole, so…complete.

When his thumb grazed her swollen clit she gasped at the exquisite jolt of pleasure that shot straight to her core. Her body bowed; Damon nipped at her ear. His moan echoed hers, sending her over the edge. White hot light flashed behind her eyes as every nerve in her body exploded. She gasped his name as the orgasm washed over her. And while her body melted into the bed as her muscles went lax, Damon's thrusting never slowed.

Regaining her strength, Elena raked her nails along his back, eliciting a hiss of pleasure. "Like that do you?" She chuckled.

"God, yes."

His shudder empowering her, Elena roughly kissed his lips before nipping at his neck and then his shoulder. She grasped his hand and sucked his middle finger into her mouth; he groaned and buried his face in her neck.

"Damn baby." The whispered endearment against her neck had Elena's head automatically dropping to the side.

Nuzzling her neck, Damon murmured, "No, sweetheart."

"Yes, Damon." Her hand fisted in his hair as he started to draw back. She held his head in place. "I'm fine. I promise. Bite me."

He stiffened and stopped moving instantly. Whimpering, Elena moved her hips, thrusting up to take him deeper and yet deeper still. He groaned. His tongue darted out to slowly circle against her skin.

"Please, Damon," she said breathlessly, "I want you to drink from me."

"You need time to recover, baby." He brushed his lips playfully across her neck, and she responded by yanking his hair. "Mmm. When did you get so feisty?" He pulled back to look into her eyes.

Arching an eyebrow, Elena grinned as she quickened the thrust of her hips, making him growl. "If you like it then I suggest you do what I say Mr. Salvatore."

And then he was at her neck again, his fangs piercing her skin, her blood flowing from her and into his mouth. Satisfaction zipped through Elena, making her exclaim in delight. Damon's hips matched her thrusts as they both flew up and over the edge together, crying out each other's name as they climaxed together.

Sweaty and gasping for air, Elena wrapped her arms around Damon as he gently kissed the bite mark on her neck. Now she felt one hundred percent better. Shit, one thousand percent better!

"Are you okay?" Damon nuzzled her ear, nibbling on its lobe.

"Better than okay." Elena released him and he plopped onto the mattress beside her. She snuggled against him, smiling.

His arm draped around her, pressing her into him, as he said, "You know, that wasn't a good idea. I shouldn't have taken any blood from you."

"You didn't even take that much. And I wanted you to. No, I _needed_ you to." She sighed. "We needed to reconnect in every way possible, Damon. After…everything."

"You mean Marissa?"

"And Klaus." She buried her face into his chest as she tried not to think about Damon and Marissa having sex. Or her and Klaus.

"It didn't happen you know," Damon said quietly. His fingers gently stroked her hair. "With Marissa. Klaus's first assignment for me was to have sex with her, but it didn't happen."

Her breath caught in her chest. Hope filled her as she asked, "Why not?"

"Stefan stopped us. And then while he and I started arguing Marissa snuck away and showed up here."

Closing her eyes tightly against the pain of the realization that Damon had been fully prepared to have sex with Marissa, even after Elena had told him how she felt about it, Elena swallowed. Damn Klaus. Why was he so determined to rip them apart?

"Elena?" Damon rolled over to look into her eyes. "I was only going to do it because Klaus told me I had to. It wouldn't have meant anything." He kissed her lips. "You're the only one I make love to; with everyone else sex is just sex."

Eyes swimming with tears, Elena nodded. "Then you understand how it's going to be between Klaus and me." When his body stiffened, Elena continued, "Because there's no way around it, Damon. It's what he wants."

Damon rolled away from her and quickly dressed. His body radiated anger. "You need to rest, and I need to get out of here for a bit. All of a sudden it feels like I can't breathe in here."

Elena watched as he stalked out of the room. While she knew that he was angry about Klaus and upset about Marissa's death, she couldn't help but wonder how much of Damon's sudden mood swing had to do with the fact that it was a full moon tonight.


	38. Chapter 38

Trying to ignore the restlessness that was brewing inside him, Damon stared at the abandoned house in front of him. Klaus was inside. Damon could feel his presence, which meant Klaus could probably feel his as well.

"What are you doing here?" Katherine's voice had Damon turning to face her. "You do realize it's a full moon tonight right? That means Klaus is at his most powerful. He'll kill you Damon."

Damon smirked. For someone who claimed to never have really loved him, Katherine had a funny way of showing it.

"This is serious, Damon," she hissed. When she saw the look of determination in his eyes, she gasped. "You can't seriously be thinking about fighting him! You don't stand a chance, especially tonight!"

"Why does everyone underestimate me so?" Damon snarled as the animal inside him fought for release. A deep, primal anger unlike anything he'd ever experienced before gnawed at him. He growled as his face and eyes changed.

Eyes wide with shock, Katherine backed away from him. "Oh my God. Your eyes. Holy shit. It's true isn't it? You're part wolf now?"

"It's time we find out, don't you think?" His skin tingling, Damon glanced to their left.

Stepping from the woods, Stefan looked warily at Damon. A few silent minutes passed as the two brothers stared at one another. Then Stefan nodded. "Come on Katherine. We must leave. It will be dark soon."

"What? You're just going to leave him here? Stefan, he's your brother! You can't let him do this! This is suicide!" Katherine grabbed Damon's arm. "Damon!"

The urge to go for Katherine's throat was so overwhelming that Damon almost followed it. Snarling, he yanked his arm away from her while stepping towards her at the same time. Gasping, Katherine stumbled backwards.

Stefan took her Katherine by the arm. "Let's go."

"No!" Katherine pulled away from him. "I can't believe this! Stefan, you have to talk him out of this!"

"He has to do this, Katherine," Stefan said quietly. "And there's nothing I can do to stop it. Now, let's go."

"Listen to him, Kat." Damon closed his eyes as he fought to keep the animal in him under control. "You don't need to be anywhere near this. You want to help me? Go take care of Elena."

"Katherine!" Stefan hissed as Damon felt Katherine's arms around him.

"You had better come back to us. Or I'm really going to be pissed." She sniffled in his ear.

Slowly opening his eyes, Damon was surprised to see that Katherine actually had tears in her eyes. And they were for him. Then she surprised him further by gently kissing his lips. And then both she and Stefan were gone, leaving Damon alone.

He turned to face the house once more. Silently telling Elena he loved her, he walked across the yard to the front door. It opened as soon as he stepped onto the porch. Klaus greeted him with a manic smile.

"So we're really going to do this?" Klaus laughed as Damon nodded. "Well okay then. Come on in my dear protégé."

"I am not your protégé." Damon shrugged out of his leather jacket and tossed it into a dusty corner.

"You may be unwilling, but you are definitely just that."

"I want to reach an understanding right now, Klaus. If I die tonight –"

"Which you will."

Damon gritted his teeth. "If I die tonight I want you to promise to take care of Elena. Protect her. Keep her human."

His head tilted in consideration, Klaus frowned. "But you'll be dead. I can agree to take care of her, but how do you know that I'll follow through?" 

"Because you're old school. Your word means something to you." Damon flexed his hands. His skin tingled and his body ached. His stomach churned.

"Ahh yes." Klaus nodded. "It is rather uncomfortable isn't it? Your skin itches and tingles at the same time. Your joints ache. And then there's the nausea. It's the power of the full moon rushing through your body, igniting your nerve endings."

Damn it. Damon couldn't believe he actually had the ability now to turn into a stupid wolf. Just the thought of it made him want to break something. Or kill someone at least. A rush of power bloomed within him, creating such an excruciating pressure inside of him that Damon was surprised his head hadn't exploded from it.

"You're reaching your full potential tonight as a hybrid Damon. Give in to it. Will yourself to turn. The rush is amazing." Klaus grinned. "And after tonight you will be able to turn at will."

"So you really don't have to turn at the full moon anymore if you don't want to?" Damon asked.

"That is correct. The choice is yours, Damon. To turn or not to turn. Tonight I am choosing to turn because I love to fight in wolf form." He sighed. "I'd rather not kill you Damon. You're my first hybrid. So I'm going to give you a chance to change your mind. Why don't we work together instead of against each other?"

"You're a threat to Elena. The only way to keep you away from her is to kill you. So that's what I intend to do. Or die trying."

Heaving a huge sigh, Klaus shook his head. "Damon, this was never about Elena. It was blind luck actually that she turned out to be the Petrova Doppleganger."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Damon hissed.

Feeling much better, but worried about Damon Elena paced the study. Alaric and Matt watched her with matching gazes of concern. Caroline and Tyler were talking quietly in the corner. Bonnie and Jeremy were still off on some type of research mission.

The sound of the front door opening had Elena racing to the hallway. She stumbled to a stop at the sight of Stefan and Katherine entering the house. Alone. Panic seized her as she realized that Damon wasn't with them.

"Where is he?" Elena demanded.

"Elena." Katherine said as her teary gaze met Elena's.

Fuck. If Katherine was crying then the news wasn't good. Shaking her head, Elena stumbled backwards on legs of jelly. Stefan jumped forward to catch her as her legs gave out.

"No! Stefan where is Damon? Where is he?" Elena tried to shove away from him, but he held her to his chest. "No!" She began to pummel against his chest, his arms, wherever her fists could make contact.

"Elena, stop." Stefan said calmly.

The heartache in his voice had Elena stilling instantly. When she looked up into his eyes she saw the torture she felt reflected back at her. He was losing Damon too. But how could he just sit back and let it happen?

"Damon's fighting Klaus tonight," Elena heard Katherine explain. "He refused to listen to reason. And he sent us away." She turned to look at Elena. "Klaus is at his most powerful tonight. Stefan and I would be no match for him."

While Elena knew that that was true, she couldn't help but resent both Stefan and Katherine for giving up on Damon and leaving him to face Klaus alone. Although Damon appeared to be a lot stronger now that he was a hybrid (if that's what he was now), Elena couldn't help but fear that he was still no match for Klaus.

There was no way that Damon could beat Klaus. No matter how much stronger his blood had made Damon, Klaus would always be stronger simply because he was older. And he was an Original on top of that. Damon didn't stand a chance. He was going to die. And Elena was never going to see him again.

"Shhh. He has to do this Elena." Stefan scooped her into his arms and carried her to the couch. "You know how Damon is once he gets something in his head."

Sniffling as Stefan, still holding her in his steely embrace, sat down on the couch, Elena realized she was crying. The thought of never seeing Damon again turned her sniffles into gut wrenching sobs. She leaned into Stefan's chest, and he cradled her against him.

This was all her fault. Damon had been bitten because of her. Klaus had come here for her. Klaus wanted _her_. And now Damon was going to fight him because of her too. She couldn't let him. But how could she stop him?

Remembering what Bonnie had said about her necklace Elena grasped it. Closing her eyes, she pictured Damon's face in her mind. Pushing aside the pain in her heart, she willed her love for him to course through her. Silently, she begged for him to be protected.

"What was that?" Stefan stiffened.

"What was what?" Alaric asked. "I didn't hear anything."

"I felt it," Katherine said quietly.

"Me too," Caroline said.

"What's going on?" Tyler looked around the room.

"Felt what?" Irritation rang clearly in Matt's voice.

"A wave of power." Stefan sat forward, shifting Elena's in his lap. "Something is happening. Elena?"

Opening her eyes, Elena found both Stefan and Katherine staring at her in wonder. Was it possible? Had her wish worked? Was the necklace really magical?

Stefan's green gaze dropped to the pendant as Elena released it. Recognition flashed in his eyes before they focused back on Elena's hope filled eyes. "Damon gave that to you?"

Nodding, Elena smiled sadly. She knew she didn't have to tell him that it had been his mother's. The knowledge was clearly written all over his face.

The sound of the front door bursting open had everyone's heads turning to watch as Bonnie rushed into the room.

"Elena, you have to go to Damon," Bonnie said breathlessly.

Panic seized Elena's heart as she jumped to her feet. Stefan immediately stood up behind her. "Bonnie, what are you talking about?"

"I don't have time to explain." Bonnie looked anxiously at Stefan. "You have to get her to Damon as soon as possible. Otherwise, he is going to die. Elena is the only one who can stop it."

Shaking his head, Stefan said, "No way. I'm not putting her in danger. Klaus will go after her."

"Dammit Stefan just do it! Jeremy's on his way there right now."

"What?" Everyone exclaimed in unison.

"He has his ring." Bonnie said. "He's going to distract Klaus and Damon until you get there."


	39. Chapter 39

"You see, Damon, it was always you I've been interested in. Not Elena." Klaus smirked.

"What? Why me?"

"In my pursuit of Katerina I learned about two brothers that had captured her attention. Two brothers she seemed to love equally. So much so that she grew careless and died because of it. Or so we all thought."

As Damon watched, Klaus shrugged out of his own jacket. Damon waited quietly for the hybrid to continue.

"Anyway, upon researching the infamous Salvatore brothers I quickly saw the similarities between you and me. We were both outcasts in our families due to our mothers' infidelities."

Shock coursed through Damon, making him jerk in surprise. What the hell was Klaus talking about? Was it possible that his mother had been unfaithful to his father? That would explain his father's repressed anger towards Damon. And why their father had love Stefan more. Suddenly his human life made more sense.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Klaus's eyes brightened in delight. He was clearly enjoying divulging this information to Damon. "Interesting. Why do you think your father never accepted you? Poor Damon." Shaking his head, Klaus tsked. "I would have thought Stefan would have told you by now."

"Stefan knew?" Anger and hurt flared in his chest. How could Stefan have not told him about this?

"Of course he did. Why do you think he killed him? I guess he was just trying to protect you by not telling you the truth." Klaus snorted. "After all, isn't that what you Salvatores do? Look after each other, protect each other, take care of one another?"

Damon's mind was reeling. "Stefan killed Giuseppe because he shot us, both of us."

"Damon, Damon." Klaus tsked. "That was why he confronted him. But when his father admitted that you weren't his son and deserved to die…that's when your brother snapped and killed him. Because of you. For you. Everything Stefan does is ultimately for you."

Guilt, anger, love, frustration, sadness, satisfaction, annoyance assaulted Damon in a storm of emotions. He couldn't speak. Couldn't think.

"I've been watching you two for years, Damon. I was waiting for you to find a way to get Katerina out of the tomb. I figured if anyone could, it would be you. While keeping an eye on you Salvatore brothers I became fascinated with your total disregard for everyone else. And no matter how you act everyone seems eager to protect you. Why is that?"

Why indeed? Hadn't Damon been asking himself that very question for over one hundred years? No matter how much he screwed up or how many people he hurt, most people refused to let him go. Especially Stefan. And they always seemed to overlook his indiscretions.

_Everyone except the man you thought was your father. _

"Stay out of my head," Damon snapped.

"I have to admit that I am quite the fan of Damon Salvatore. The perpetual screw up who is loved by everyone no matter what."

The sharp sting of envy zipped through Damon. Klaus was _jealous_ of him? Because people didn't give up on him?

"You see," Klaus said bitterly, "everyone gives up on me. You and I might be kin when it comes to being misunderstood but that's it. Nobody wants me around. Not even my own family. Look at Elijah. He was ready to kill me. And then there's Stefan Salvatore. The one who will do anything for his brother."

Damon scoffed although he knew what Klaus was saying was true. "That's absurd. So you stalked me? Why?" A bitter stab of hatred raced through him. "If you hate me so much then why didn't you let me die? Why give me the antidote?"

"I don't hate you Damon. I admire you. It is quite fascinating to watch people scramble to keep you alive. It's fun. And also very beneficial to me. It is a shame that I'm going to have to kill you."

"You've let me live so you could use me as a pawn?"

Nodding, Klaus laughed as Damon doubled over as pain surged through him. He felt as if his body were being turned inside out. Falling to his knees, he heard Klaus growl. Damon watched as Klaus also dropped to his knees. A wave of power washed over Damon, easing his pain instantly.

"You might as well turn. You'll be no match for me otherwise." Klaus's eyes flashed golden as his fangs extended. A howl erupted from him as his body jerked.

Taking a deep breath, Damon watched as Klaus's body began to change shape in a cacophony of bone snaps, painful howls, snapping jaws, and anguished growls. Rooted to the spot in astonished wonder, Damon watched his first werewolf transformation.

"Looks like I'm just in time."

Damon spun around to find Jeremy standing in the doorway. What the fuck was the kid doing here? "Get out of here Jeremy! Now!"

"No." Jeremy cringed as he watched as Klaus began to take on his wolf form. "It's okay. I have this." He raised his hand and wiggled his fingers to display his supernatural protection ring.

Blurring to the boy's side, Damon shoved him against the wall. "Get the fuck out of here Jeremy! You're going to get yourself killed! You're going to get _me_ killed! Think about Elena Jeremy! What if the ring doesn't work with Klaus?"

"I _am_ thinking about Elena! She can live without me! But she won't survive without you Damon! If you die it will kill her! She's never loved anyone the way she loves you! Not even Stefan!"

Jeremy's words stabbed Damon in the heart. Regret had him releasing the boy, who immediately took advantage and ran towards the wolf that was standing on the other side of the room staring at them both with glowing eyes.

Damon cursed as he rushed to put himself in between Jeremy and Klaus. With a vicious snarl Klaus dodged around Damon, his appetite for human flesh greater than his need for vengeance. Spinning around Damon grabbed the wolf's tail, eliciting a sharp yelp as Klaus spun back around to lunge at Damon with his teeth bared.

"Go Jeremy!" Damon yelled as he grasped Klaus's jaws in his hands. He fought to hold his grip on the wolf's jaws, but the slobber had his hands slipping. As the wolf snapped at him, Damon lunged out of his reach. As soon as he was free Klaus spun around to go after Jeremy again.

"Fuck!" Damon raced after the wolf, tackling it to the ground. His shoulder ignited in burning pain as Klaus's teeth sank into it. With a powerful yank Klaus yanked Damon's should out of place with a sickening pop. Damon screamed as he felt chunks of his shoulder being ripped away from his body.

"Hey!" Jeremy yelled as flung himself on top of Klaus and they rolled away from Damon.

Stomach lurching as she and Katherine came to an abrupt halt; Elena took a deep breath to steady herself before dropping from Katherine's back. While Stefan and Bonnie had proceeded to argue about Elena going to Damon, Katherine had snatched Elena up and raced off to Damon.

"They're fighting," Katherine yanked the door of the rickety house open.

Elena raced inside, gasping when she took in the sight of a bloody Damon lying in the floor and Jeremy and a wolf tumbling away from him. She screamed her brother's name, immediately grabbing Damon's attention.

"Get the hell out of here Elena!" Damon roared as he launched himself across the room as Jeremy's agonized scream filled the air.

Klaus had wrestled himself out of Jeremy's grasp and was using his sharp claws to rip Jeremy's chest open. Damon reached out with his good arm and snatched Klaus up by the ruff of his neck and tossed him across the room. His body hit the wall with a deafening thud that shook the entire house.

But Klaus didn't stay down long. With a growl he was on his feet almost instantly, his eyes never leaving Damon. And then his nose twitched. His massive head swung in Elena's direction. Her blood ran cold as Klaus's golden eyes met hers.

"Get her out of here Katherine!" Stefan yelled, shoving Elena behind him and out the door, as Klaus soared through the air at them.

Elena stumbled into Katherine on the porch as she heard Damon yell Stefan's name. The house shook again and Stefan leaped onto the porch, slamming the door behind him as he shoved both girls off the porch.

"Elena!" Matt yelled as he and Alaric ran to her side.

Elena watched as Bonnie ran towards the house. What was she doing? Klaus would kill her for sure! Her magic was no match for him tonight. Klaus was going to kill Damon and then Bonnie. It looked like he'd already killed Jeremy. Then he would come after the rest of them.

"Oh God!" Elena cried. "Jeremy!"

Matt gathered her against him as she began to shake. She was going to lose everyone she loved tonight.

Bonnie screamed as the front door burst into a shower of splinters as Katherine yanked Bonnie from the porch by her arm. Damon and Klaus tumbled out onto the porch and down the steps into the grass below. Matt pulled Elena back as Alaric jumped in front of them. Stefan moved to shield Katherine and Bonnie.

Elena's heart lodged in her throat as she took in the sight of the tumbling, bloody, furry mass that was Klaus and Damon. She was shoved into Bonnie's car and quickly joined by Matt and Alaric, who locked the doors behind them.

"He's going to kill Damon, Ric." Matt shook his head. "There's nothing we can do. He's already done half the job by the looks of it. We need to get Elena out of here."

"No!" Elena shook her head vehemently. "We're not going anywhere! And Damon is not going to die!" As she said the words, she grasped the pendant. "I can't lose him!"

She looked out the window and watched as Damon kicked Klaus away from him. Klaus quickly regained his footing and spun to face Katherine and Stefan. Leaping through the air, his growl vibrated through the air. Stefan shoved Katherine behind him and braced himself.

"I don't fucking think so!" Damon yelled as he jumped in front of Stefan. "Leave my brother out of this! This is between you and me wolf-boy!"

Elena gasped as she watched Damon's eyes flash golden and bright. His fangs glistened in the moonlight. His skin seemed to ripple and the air shifted around him. Klaus's wolf yipped in delight and stepped towards Damon as he doubled over.

A new howl filled the air as a black wolf tackled Klaus. Caroline screamed Tyler's name. Stefan grabbed Caroline as she tried to run past him. While Tyler and Klaus tumbled away, Elena's eyes remained riveted on Damon who was writhing on the ground, his features changing, the sounds of popping and snapping as his body transformed into a wolf making her cringe.

And then the Damon she knew was gone, replaced with a black wolf. Unlike Tyler, who was all black, Damon's fur black fur was streaked with silver, making him seem to shimmer in the moonlight. Power seemed to radiate from him as he gave a demanding yip/howl.

The other two wolves froze. Klaus's wolf seemed to smile as he turned his bloody muzzle to look at Damon. Tyler whined as he ducked away from Klaus. His shoulder was dripping blood as he limped into the trees. Caroline ran after him.

Damon charged Klaus, who howled and ran off into the trees. Damon quickly gave chase, leaving the rest of them gaping after him. After a few seconds, a rolling mass of fur and slobber rolled back into view as Klaus and Damon continued to fight.

Elena didn't understand. The two wolves seemed evenly matched although Klaus should have easily overpowered Damon. Maybe Klaus was just having fun right now. Elena wouldn't put it past him to draw out the fight as long as possible before finally killing Damon. He was sadistic that way.

She had to stop this. Now. But how? Silently she thought, _Please stop this. I can't lose Damon. I just can't. _

The world around them lit up with a flash of light, similar to that of lightning. The air hummed with power. Something big was happening. But Elena had no idea what it was.

The fighting stopped. Klaus backed away and ran into the trees once more. Damon's eyes found Elena. The air around him vibrated once more and he curled into himself as his body began to change back to human form.

"Where the hell did he go?" Matt asked.

"I don't know." Alaric said as he opened the car door. He looked back at Elena. "Stay here until we know Klaus is really gone."

Elena watched as he and Matt jogged over to Damon. As Alaric bent over to talk to Damon, Elena felt the seat move. She looked beside her to find Klaus, in human form, sitting beside her.

"Hello Elena love."


	40. Chapter 40

"I don't need your help, Ric." Damon brushed Ric's hands away. "I'm fine. If you can call being able to change into a slobbering beast fine." Damon smirked. A slight thrill zipped through him as Elena's face flashed through his mind. "Elena."

Damon looked at Bonnie's car, where Klaus and Elena were sitting in the back seat together. A growl vibrated deep in Damon's throat as he made his way toward the vehicle.

_Now, now Damon. I just wanted a little chat with our girl. _

Hearing Klaus refer to Elena as theirs made Damon's skin itch. Elena was his, and his alone.

_Calm down, brother. _

"I'm not your brother," Damon hissed through clenched teeth.

When Damon reached for the door handle to wrench it from its hinges, he watched as the locks engaged. Chuckling, he grasped the handle and pulled anyway. Locks were never a challenge for his vamp strength. But the door didn't budge.

_I'm still stronger than you Damon. I will always be stronger than you. _

Upon hearing him try to open the door, Elena spun around. Her dark brown eyes met his and a relieved smile lit up her face. She expected Damon to rescue her. That's what he was supposed to do. That was his job.

Images of their time spent together the past few weeks filled Damon's mind, reawakening his need to protect her. Saving her wasn't his job; it was his purpose. And while he'd failed at so many things before, this time failure wasn't an option. Feeling a renewed rush of power ignite within him, Damon released the handle and rushed around the vehicle.

Ignoring the voices calling out to him, Damon gripped the handle of the door on Klaus's side and yanked hard. The screeching of the metal hinges filled the air around them as Damon tossed the door effortlessly behind him. Then he reached inside, snatched Klaus up by his throat and tossed him to the ground.

"What the hell?" Klaus sputtered from the ground as he scrambled to get up. "How did you do that?"

Wrapping his hand around Klaus's throat, Damon growled, "Let me help you up." He lifted Klaus into a standing position as he slowly tightened his grip on Klaus's throat.

"You. Can't. Kill. Me." Klaus gasped. "Not. Strong. Enough."

"Damon!" Katherine tossed him an intricately carved stake. "Bonnie said to use this!"

Catching the stake with his free hand, Damon felt the jolt of fear that surged through Klaus. For the first time since Damon had met him the hybrid was scared. Raising the stake into the air, Damon watched as Klaus's eyes widened in terror.

_Know this Damon. If you kill me Stefan has been compelled to kill Elena. _

Loosening his grip on the hybrid's throat, Damon hissed, "What?"

"That's right. Stefan will kill Elena if you kill me. So you'd better be ready to choose between your brother and your lover."

Klaus's declaration made Elena gasp as she watched Damon's arm blur through air. She screamed and covered her face with her hands. Damon was actually going to do it! He was going to kill Klaus! Her heart seized in her chest as she realized that Stefan was going to come after her; he was going to try to kill her.

"You son of a bitch!" Damon roared.

At the sound of Klaus's triumphant laughter, Elena uncovered her eyes. Damon must have moved at the last second because the stake was embedded in the ground beside Klaus. She moved to climb out of the car, to go to Damon, but suddenly Stefan blocked the door.

"Stefan, move!" She pleaded. "I have to go to Damon."

"No." Stefan shook his head and scooped her into his arms. "You have to go to your brother."

Icy fear knotted her stomach. She'd forgotten about Jeremy! The image of Klaus's wolf claws ripping open her brother's chest filled her mind. Oh God! How could she have forgotten about him!

In the time it took her to blink, Stefan had Elena inside the house and was setting her next to an unconscious, deathly white Jeremy. Blood was everywhere. The jagged slices in his skin made her stomach turn as she fell to her knees beside him.

"Jeremy!" Elena grasped his cold hand in hers as tears ran freely down her face. "Oh God!"

"I-I gave him some b-b-blood," Caroline said. She was sitting with Jeremy's head cradled in her lap as she stroked his hair. Tyler was standing behind her, his arms crossed as he fought back his own tears. "I don't know if it will be enough."

"Thank you," Elena whispered. She lifted her head up to look for Bonnie.

Hugging her knees to her chest, Bonnie was sitting in the far corner of the room. Matt knelt beside her, whispering in her ear. Whatever he was saying Bonnie didn't agree with because she kept shaking her head. Her nose was bloody, which meant she'd performed some demanding magic. Although Elena knew she should go to her, she couldn't leave Jeremy.

What if the ring didn't work? What if it's magic wasn't strong enough against Klaus's damage? But it had to, right? Klaus was a supernatural being. The ring prevented death at the hand of any supernatural being. It had to work. It just had to!

"Elena."

At the sound of Damon's voice Elena's silent crying turned into full blown heart wrenching sobs. His solid arms came around her as he pulled her up and against his chest into what she thought was a comforting hug. Until she realized he was moving her away from Jeremy.

"Damon, what are you doing?" She demanded. And then she saw Klaus. "Oh hell no!" She began kicking and fighting against Damon's arms. "Get away from him! You're the reason he's lying there!"

Elena was forced to watch as Stefan and Katherine blocked Tyler and Caroline from getting to Klaus. Alaric was in the corner talking hurriedly to Matt and Bonnie. Klaus knelt beside Jeremy and bit his own wrist. Then he placed it against Jeremy's mouth.

"Elena, his blood is more powerful," Damon said quietly against her ear. "It will help Jeremy heal faster."

Turning in his arms, Elena glared at him. "How can you trust him after all of this? You should have killed him Damon!"

"And then Stefan would have killed you."

Shaking her head, Elena said, "You wouldn't have let that happen. You would have protected me. Just like you always do."

His blue eyes sparked in anger. "You would have me kill my own brother? Because that's what would have happened! And then you would have hated me for killing Stefan!"

Deep down Elena knew that Damon was right. She would never have been able to forgive him if he'd killed Stefan. As much as she wanted to deny it, she still loved Stefan. She probably always would. And suddenly it dawned on her what she had to do.

"There you go, mate." Klaus stood and stepped away from Jeremy. He turned and walked towards Damon and Elena. "He should be good as new in a few minutes." His eyes met Elena's. "I'm sorry love."

"Stop calling me that." Elena spat. "I hate you!"

Klaus's hand reached out to smooth her hair from her face. Damon's arm released her so that he could grab Klaus's arm. Elena saw her opening and she took it, moving faster than she'd ever moved before.


	41. Chapter 41

As Damon glared at Klaus, he watched as the hybrid's eyes widened and then dimmed. He crumbled to the floor and quickly mummified before bursting into flames. Mouth hanging open, Damon simply stared at the burning hybrid as his mind fought to catch up with what had just taken place.

Elena had just staked Klaus.

"Take that you bastard," Elena muttered.

Remembering Klaus's warning outside, Damon quickly looked at Stefan. His brother, as well as everyone else in the room, was staring in wonder at Klaus's flaming remains. Nobody made a move.

What the hell? Klaus had said that Stefan had been compelled to kill Elena if he died? Had the hybrid been bluffing?

"He said Stefan would kill me if _you_ killed him." Elena turned around and shrugged. "He didn't say anything about me or anyone else."

Unable to speak for the lump of relief lodged in his throat, Damon pulled Elena into his arms and hugged her tightly. Then he showered her face with kisses.

"I'm sorry Damon, but Klaus had to die," Elena mumbled. "He threatened everyone I love and almost killed you and my brother."

"No need to apologize, baby." He grinned as he rested his forehead against hers. "I'm just glad he's gone and you're safe. And that was badass and incredibly sexy." He kissed her lips, ending with a small nibble on her lower lip.

"Please tell me that used to be Klaus."

Damon looked up to find Jeremy sitting up, rubbing his chest. He released a squealing Elena and watched as she ran to hug her brother. Then he raised his eyes to meet his own brother's gaze.

"Outside." Stefan said quietly as he walked out of the house.

Anxiety knotted in his stomach as Damon followed Stefan. He knew they had to talk about Elena. Now that Klaus was gone Stefan was free of all of his compulsion. Damon suspected that part of that compulsion had been responsible for Stefan giving up on Elena and going back to Katherine. And now Damon was afraid that Stefan wanted Elena back.

Sighing heavily, Stefan stopped a few feet from the porch and turned to face Damon. Dread weighed heavily in Damon's stomach as he saw the pain and resignation in his brother's green eyes.

"I have to go away for a while." Stefan's jaw twitched.

"What? Again? Why?"

Nodding, Stefan smiled sadly. "Damon, I still love her."

"Klaus's compulsion wore off." He'd known it was coming, but it still hurt to hear that his brother still loved Elena. And because Damon knew that he was going to lose Elena to Stefan. "No Stefan. I'll go."

"What?" Eyes wide, Stefan stared at him. "What are you talking about? You love her. And she loves you."

Trying to swallow around the lump in his throat, Damon shook his head. "She deserves you, not me. She still loves you. The only reason we even got together is because you were gone." Damon turned to stare into the trees as his eyes burned. "So now I'll go, and you two can get back together."

"Damon that's not going to happen."

"Why didn't you tell me that Giuseppe wasn't my real father, Stefan?"

"Klaus told you."

"Is that why you snapped and killed him? Because of me? For me?" Fisting his hands at his sides as he fought to control his emotions, Damon closed his eyes.

"Yes. That was part of it." Stefan sighed. "Damon, he was a bastard to you all of your life. And why? Because you weren't his blood? That's not a reason, that's an excuse. And a pitiful one at that."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Damon turned to look at his brother. "Why keep it from me all of these years?"

"I…I don't know." Stefan shrugged. "I guess I didn't want you feeling guilty about it. That is why you're willing to walk away from Elena now isn't it? Because you feel like you owe me? That's stupid, Damon. She doesn't love me the way she loves you. You might not think she deserves you, but _you_ deserve her."

Unable to speak, Damon stared at the one person who had always had his back, no matter what. And why?

Stepping towards Damon, Stefan smiled. "Damon, you're my brother. All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy. And when you're with Elena you're happy; for the first time in our existence you are finally happy. I'm not going to let you throw it away."

"So you're just going to walk away?" Damon said hoarsely. "Just like that? I don't de-"

"Dammit Damon. Don't say you don't deserve it."

Releasing Jeremy, Elena wiped tears of relief from her cheeks. Her brother was alive. Damon was alive. Everyone she cared about was alive. She turned to look at Damon, but he was gone. She realized Stefan was too.

"What the hell happened?" Jeremy asked.

Hugging him, Bonnie smiled. "Magic." She turned to look at Elena. "Short version. Elena and Damon's love created some powerful magic that stopped Klaus and allowed me to conjure the only stake in the world that is able to kill an Original."

"But I didn't think that stake could kill a hybrid." Jeremy frowned. "At least that's what our research said."

"Only if the person wielding it has hybrid blood in his or her system." Bonnie grinned. "That's why Klaus was scared. He knew that Damon could kill him."

Frowning, Elena shook her head. "But I'm the one who staked Klaus. I never drank Klaus's blood. Or Damon's."

"You don't have to drink the blood to have it in your system." Bonnie laughed.

"Um, I'm still confused." Matt said.

"Jesus, Bonnie." Alaric grinned at her. "Are you sure?"

Looking from Bonnie to Alaric, Elena huffed. "Will somebody tell me what's going on?"

"Ohmigod!" Caroline squealed. "Are you saying Elena's pregnant?"

Hands immediately going to her stomach, Elena gasped. Was it possible? She had been really sick, but she thought it had just been a bad flu virus. Could she actually be carrying Damon's child?

"Umf!" Elena found herself being crushed in a giant group hug as congratulations washed over her.

"What's going on?"

At the sound of Damon's voice, everyone backed away from Elena as he rushed to her side. While she was excited at the thought of having Damon's baby, Elena couldn't help but see the tension between he and Stefan. And when she looked at Stefan, the pain in his eyes took her breath away.

"Elena, are you okay?" Damon touched her arm. "What's wrong?"

Elena looked into his eyes. Beyond his concern for her, she saw Stefan's pain mirrored in Damon's eyes. "I can ask you the same thing. What's going on with you two? Where were you? What's wrong with Stefan?"

"We were talking." Damon stiffened. "Stefan's going away for a while."

"What? Why?" Elena's eyes met Stefan's emerald gaze across the room. "We just got you back. Why go now?"

"I need to get away from Mystic Falls for a while. I'll be back." He smiled sadly. "Don't worry." He glanced at Katherine. "I won't be lonely."

"Damn straight you won't be." Katherine grinned. "And we'll definitely be in touch so we don't miss the big event."

"Big event?" Stefan frowned.

"Now it's your turn to answer the 'what's going on' question," Damon said. "I know it's awesome that Klaus is dead and gone, but my instincts are telling me that's not why everyone has these crazy, giddy smiles on their faces."

A giggle bubbled in Elena's throat at the irritation in Damon's voice. "Damon you're going to be a father." The laughter erupted from Elena as she watched Damon's mouth fall open in shock. "I'm pregnant."

The words were barely out of her mouth before Elena found herself scooped up into Damon's arms. Laughing, she kissed Damon's lips as he spun her in a quick circle. As soon as her lips met his he stopped spinning and deepened the kiss.

A muttered curse, followed by Katherine's "Stefan, wait" had Elena and Damon pulling out of the celebratory kiss. They both looked at the door that Stefan had just exited through. Katherine looked at them apologetically before disappearing as well.

Elena's heart lurched in her chest. Stefan was hurting. He still loved her. Elena had seen it in his eyes back at the Boarding House. She couldn't imagine how much pain this news must be causing him.

"Elena, you should go talk to him." Damon looked at her. "Please."

"I…okay." She nodded and walked toward the door.

Baffled, Elena stepped outside to find Katherine and Stefan talking quietly beside the edge of the woods. Both of them looked up as she walked down the steps. Katherine smiled and walked towards Elena. Stefan, on the other hand, turned away to look into the trees.

"Congratulations, Elena." Katherine stopped briefly to hug her before continuing on to the house.

"Stefan?" Elena stopped a few feet away from him.

"I'm sorry, Elena." He turned and smiled at her. "I shouldn't have reacted that way. I am happy for you. Congratulations."

"I'm so sorry all of this happened Stefan." Her throat tightened as the memories of their time together washed over her. While she did still love Stefan, she knew now that she wasn't _in love_ with him. She never had been. She thought she had been. But she'd been wrong.

"I'm not." He chuckled at her shocked expression. "You and Damon belong together Elena. I'd always had my suspicions, but tried to ignore them. And now, seeing the two of you together, it's obvious."

"I still love you, Stefan." She could hear the tears in her voice that she was trying so hard to hold back. "I think I always will."

"Me too."

"That's why you're leaving isn't it?" When he nodded, the tears took over. "Please don't go."

"Elena." He blurred to her side to wrap his arms around her. "Shh. Don't cry. I'll be back soon. Now that I'm going to be an uncle I have to come back." He laughed. "I can't believe I'm actually going to be an uncle."

"Stefan." Elena looked up at him. "Please don't leave. Damon needs you."

Shaking his head, Stefan smiled. "He's got you now. And he's a badass hybrid. He doesn't need me."

"But you're his brother. He'll always need you."

Chuckling, Stefan said, "Don't let him hear you say that. I'll be back. I promise. I just need some time away to adjust." He wiped the tears from her cheeks before gently kissing her lips. "Goodbye Elena." He turned away, stopped, then turned back. "Do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Take care of my brother."

"I promise." Elena smiled as she watched Stefan disappear into the trees. When she turned back to the house, she saw Katherine and Damon hugging on the porch. And for once, it made her happy instead of scared.

"See ya later." Katherine said, winking at Elena as she strode past her to follow Stefan into the trees.

"What do you say we go home?" Damon said as Elena walked up to him.

"That sounds wonderful." Elena smiled as he wrapped an arm around her waist.


	42. Chapter 42

It had been 6 weeks (not that he was counting) since his brother had left. Again. Only this time it had been Stefan's choice. Damon couldn't blame him. If Stefan and Elena had gotten back together he would have left Mystic Falls too. And unlike Stefan he would probably never have returned.

"Damon?" Elena stepped up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What are you doing in Stefan's room?"

"Just thinking." Damon turned to hug her against him.

"You miss him don't you?"

Damon snorted. "Are you kidding? I'm glad his broody ass isn't here." There was no way he was going to admit that he did in fact miss his brother. He was Damon Salvatore. He didn't miss his brother. Hell, he didn't even love his brother. He smirked.

Elena's knowing smile told him that she didn't believe him. Biting back his own smile, he rested his hand on her stomach. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but wonderful." Elena's hand covered his. Her other hand reached up to grip the pendant at her throat. Seconds later Damon felt a brief flutter against his hand.

Eyes bulging, he gasped "Did you feel that?"

Laughing, Elena nodded. "Bonnie said the baby is growing at a faster rate than a normal."

"That's because it isn't a human, Elena." Damon sighed. He couldn't help but worry about what kind of child they were bringing into this world. This was the first hybrid baby ever. And he was scared about the effect the pregnancy, let alone the birth, would have on Elena.

"Maybe he's just bored and impatient like his daddy." Elena laughed softly.

"And we all know how well daddy does with that." Damon smirked. His heart skipped a beat as Elena's words replayed in his mind. "His?"

Frowning, Elena nodded. "Right now I think it is a boy. But sometimes I get the feeling it's a girl." She cocked her head to the side. "So I'm not sure."

A wave of protectiveness washed over Damon. Regardless of its sex, Damon was filled with an intense need to protect this child, his child. He'd thought his only purpose in this world was to protect Elena. He'd been wrong. His purpose was to protect his family. Elena and their child. Stefan. Even Jeremy.

Swallowing against the tears burning in the back of his throat, he grumbled, "Speaking of impatient, can't Bonnie do a spell or something so we can find out? Or maybe that necklace can tell us."

His mother's necklace still mystified them all. Bonnie had tried to explain it the best she could. Apparently a spell had been put on it so that when Damon gave it to his one true love it would become some sort of protective talisman for them.

The necklace had been responsible for helping Bonnie conjure up the stake to kill Klaus. Of course, she'd also had help from the spirit of dead witches on the other side, as well as the ghosts of Anna and Vickie.

"Oh Damon." Elena kissed his lips before taking his hand and leading him from Stefan's room. "Some things never change do they?"

"Hey guys." Jeremy said as they came down the stairs. "Got a postcard from Stefan. He's in Washington State. Says hello."

Damon scowled. "A postcard? They still make those?" He took the postcard from Jeremy. "Leave it to my brother to be so old school."

His eyes hastily scanned his brother's handwriting. _Hello everyone. Just a note to let you all know that Katherine and I will be home soon. See you soon. Stefan_

"Well that was a complete waste of paper and my time," Damon muttered. "A quick text would have sufficed."

"Stop it Damon." Elena laughed. "You know you're happy he's coming home."

Giving her a quick wink, Damon tossed the postcard nonchalantly onto the hall table. "Hey Jer. Go get your sister a burger from the Grill." He scooped Elena into his arms and carried her back upstairs.

"But I'm not hungry." Elena frowned at him.

"You will be." Damon grinned. Jeremy groaned as he grabbed his hoodie from the chair.

Giggling, Elena looked over Damon's shoulder. "Hey Jeremy? Order an extra pickle will you? I do love pickles."

"Oh you do do you?" Damon muttered in her ear as they reached the top of the stairs. "Lock the door on your way out Jer!"

"Disgusting!" Jeremy scoffed as he slammed the door behind him.

Damon grinned against Elena's mouth as he kissed her. He took her into their bedroom and set her onto the bed. "Baby, before we do this, I have something to ask you." He pulled away from her. She scowled, making him chuckle.

"I've already told you it's okay. It's not going to hurt the baby Damon." She growled in frustration. "Now don't make me wait."

"Now who's being impatient?" He pulled the diamond ring from his back pocket. "Elena Gilbert, will you make me the happiest hybrid in the world and marry me?"

Eyes wide, Elena gasped as she looked at the ring. Then she shot off of the bed and tackled him. "Yes!" She kissed his mouth. "Of course, you're the only hybrid in the world. So there's no way you couldn't be the happiest one. At least for now."

"Smartass." He smacked her butt, making her squeal. "Here." He slid the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit.

**Thanks everyone for reading and commenting. I hope you enjoyed the story. That's the end...for now. Thanks again! :)**


End file.
